Coke chief gets lost in translation toasting Hu
Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent found a memorable way to toast Chinese President Hu Jintao: in Japanese. Kent, chairman of the Washington-based US-China Business Council, was warming up the crowded ballroom at Washington?s Wardman Park Marriott Hotel yesterday for Hu?s only policy address during his four-day trip to the US. ?In honor of this very historic moment, I would like to propose a toast to President Hu and also to his esteemed delegation?kanpai,? Kent said.
Sasha practices Chinese with Hu
Talk about a high level language exchange. US President Barack Obama’s daughter, Sasha, wanted to test her Chinese skills this week while Hu Jintao was in town. Just whom did she want to practice them with? The Chinese president himself, according to a White House official. The president pointed out that Sasha, is a very young girl but her class is studying Chinese, Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, told a video conference with Chinese bloggers. She’s under 10 years old and they’re studying Chinese, and she wanted to have the chance to practice her Chinese with President Hu.