Michelle Obama 'snubs wife of Chinese leader'

[Cujo]

Quite frankly I'm astounded by the ignorance.
This will be taken as a huge insult and she will loss a lot face in the eyes of the Chinese, I've never really had an opinion on Michelle Obama untill now beyond the fact that she is disrespectful and dresses like a housewife, but this is an unbelievable diplomatic gaffe.
It can only be deliberate, she must know how important her presence would be so why would she do this?
Can't be just plain ignorance, she's an educated woman.

Washington: The hope that this weekend's summit between Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping might inject a new warmth into US-China relations suffered a setback this week when the White House announced that Michelle Obama would not be joining her husband.



Her office cited domestic responsibilities for not attending - it is the last week of the school year for the Obamas' daughters Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11 - but the move leaves China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, to attend the summit without her American counterpart.



China experts warned that Mrs Obama's decision to stay in Washington could have an unwelcome chilling effect on a summit that White House officials have billed as an "unprecedented" opportunity to heal divisions between the world's two biggest economies.

China's President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan listen to a speech in Mexico's, days ahead of US-China summit. Photo: Reuters
Her absence may be interpreted by the face-conscious Chinese bureaucrats and public as a deliberate snub, US and Chinese analysts said. The Chinese had hoped that their country's first lady would dazzle America during the two-day summit at the Sunnylands ranch in Palm Springs which opens on Friday and which both sides have trumpeted as an attempt to kick-start more constructive relations.
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Zhang Ming, a political scientist from China's Renmin University, predicted that Mrs Obama's absence would "not go down very well" in Beijing.
"First lady diplomacy is also very important and the US side has failed to cooperate," he said. "According to normal diplomatic etiquette, this is very strange. It shouldn't be like this.
"Maybe Michelle [Obama] doesn't like Xi Jinping - or maybe she is just really busy. But being busy shouldn't be an excuse for missing an event like this."
Several leading US commentators agreed. "Michelle Obama not attending the summit is a diplomatic own-goal that could easily have been avoided," wrote Dan Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tuft's University in Boston. "She should be in California."
Communist Party bosses had seen meeting as a golden opportunity to deploy Peng Liyuan's much-vaunted charms on the world stage in an attempt to spin a more favourable image of China's leaders, after a decade with the stiff, protocol-obsessed former president Hu Jintao in charge. Ms Peng has taken centre-stage during Mr Xi's tour of Latin America and the Caribbean, exchanging high fives with children and playing the steel drums in Trinidad and Tobago.
"First lady turns on the charm, impresses hosts," the state-run China Daily enthused on Tuesday, noting that the 50-year-old soprano had made an impact "not just with her music, but also her kindness and language capability".
Cheng Li, an expert in Chinese politics from Washington's Brookings Institution, told the New York Times that the Chinese would "readily" accept Mrs Obama's family commitments but said her decision "certainly needs some explanation." The Chinese were "extremely sensitive".
Relations between the two powers have been strained in recent years over trade disputes, allegations of Chinese cyber espionage and America's decision to be more assertive in the Asia-Pacific region - a move the Chinese resent.


Read more: Michelle Obama 'snubs' Xi Jinping's wife

[mykthemin]

What do you expect from these retards

[fireysteve]

Good on her for not sucking up to the Chinese. Australia is giving them our country on a silver platter. Getting sick of the Chinese take over that is happening here in Oz.

[Norton]

Her domestic reasons excuse is ridiculous. As first lady she has responsibilities which come far ahead of being at home for "the last week of the school year for the Obamas' daughters".

[Cujo]

Good on her for not sucking up to the Chinese. Australia is giving them our country on a silver platter. Getting sick of the Chinese take over that is happening here in Oz.

I agree, but there's sucking up and there's being polite when guests come for a visit.

[Necron99]

What responsibilities does she have to government?
She wasn't elected was she?
What were they gonna do, swap recipes?

Storm in a Chinese teacup.

[Cujo]

What responsibilities does she have to government?
She wasn't elected was she?
What were they gonna do, swap recipes?

Storm in a Chinese teacup.

It's diplomacy, you apparently don't understand, she doesn't have responsibilities as such, but she has duties.
What if you'd arranged to go out with one of your colleagues for dinner, then your wife pulled out, leaving you to go by yourself.
Changes the dynamics somewhat doesn't it.

[Storekeeper]

What responsibilities does she have to government?
She wasn't elected was she?
What were they gonna do, swap recipes?

Storm in a Chinese teacup.

It's diplomacy, you apparently don't understand, she doesn't have responsibilities as such, but she has duties.
What if you'd arranged to go out with one of your colleagues for dinner, then your wife pulled out, leaving you to go by yourself.
Changes the dynamics somewhat doesn't it.

Your post made me look up what I could find and apparently the Chinese First Lady was photographed serenading soldiers in 1989 at Tianimen Square. If true ... I would prefer the First Lady of the USA not be available for picture taking with her.

By the way ... Did the former First Lady China show up at the White House in 2011? Not sure it matters to me but I'm sure there is precedent for First Ladies missing these things.

IMHO being a parent requires missing out on some things.

[mao say dung]

Isn't it about time that China's real status in the world is recognized?

Obama should wear this T-shirt with a swanky black 2-button jacket when he meets the first family of China:

[Cujo]

Isn't it about time that China's real status in the world is recognized?

Obama should wear this T-shirt with a swanky black 2-button jacket when he meets the first family of China:

[Necron99]

What responsibilities does she have to government?
She wasn't elected was she?
What were they gonna do, swap recipes?

Storm in a Chinese teacup.

It's diplomacy, you apparently don't understand, she doesn't have responsibilities as such, but she has duties.
What if you'd arranged to go out with one of your colleagues for dinner, then your wife pulled out, leaving you to go by yourself.
Changes the dynamics somewhat doesn't it.

I'd probably have a better time.

[mao say dung]

I'm not much interested in Michelle Obama, and don't know whether it's likely that she is doing this "on principle", or whether that sort of thing is even possible. But if it were possible, she couldn't have chosen a better target for a snub:

[sabang]

China is America's bigger foreign creditor- jeez, why would you snub your bank manager? Seems downright dumb to me.

[mao say dung]

Greed and intelligence are not the same thing.

And the Chinese first lady's role as some sort of paragon of propaganda ought to have been considered before she was let out of the closet by the Party.

That was dumb.

[Boon Mee]

The Chinese public had hoped that their country's first lady would dazzle the American public during this summit at the Sunnylands ranch in Palm Springs which opens on Friday and in which both sides have trumpeted as a bid to kick-start more constructive relations.


Xi Ping and Peng Liyuan, First Lady of China


First there was the lovely Carla,



then the French Rottweiler:



And now, you expect Lady M to deal with this?



Well forget about it we’re not going there. Literally.

"Maybe Michelle [Obama] doesn't like - or maybe she is just really busy," Prof Zhang speculated. "But being busy shouldn't be an excuse for missing an event like this." Several leading US commentators agreed.

"This is one of the few moments during her husband's term of office where what she does matters a small amount to world politics. She should be in California." Communist Party bosses had seen the meeting as a golden opportunity to deploy Peng Liyuan's much-vaunted charms on the world stage in a bid to spin a more favourable image of China's leaders, after a decade with the stiff, protocol obsessed former president Hu Jintao in charge.




It’s not easy being green - or black. Someone is always expecting you to sing for your supper. Lady M will be staying home this weekend to tend to her domestic responsibilities:



We’ve only got a month to plan for 2 month vacation on the Vineyards. Do you have any idea how many new garden frocks we need to order? How many cases of wine we have to select?

Big Loss Of Face For Obama Here

[harrybarracuda]

It's amazing how something so insignificant keeps so many commentators and critics in a job. For all you know, she's been on the blower to her saying "Do you mind if I skip it? I've got to go and do the school's out shit and get some pizza for my daughter's birthday party", and the other one's said "No problem, fucking kids, they're a pain in the arse, aren't they? *chuckle*".

The only people that seem to give a shit about this are not the actual ones involved.

I'm just waiting for Booners to call it "Peng Liyuan-Gate" and tell us it's going to bring Obama down.