Quick Links: What Obama Said and Drank in China

Last week we provided a roundup of the quirkier aspect of US President Obama’s rather uneventful trip to China. Here’s a few extra links on the visit.

The UK's Telegraph has provided a translation of the one and only interview Obama granted to a Chinese media outlet, a rather dull exchange with the "Southern Weekend" supplement of the Southern Metropolis Daily, generally one of China’s more penetrating newspapers. Despite the uncontroversial nature of the interview, the Telegraph and other papers like the LA Times reported the piece was excised from many copies of the Southern Metropolis Daily when it was distributed last week.

Over at the Grape Wall of China, Beijing Boyce reported that Obama was – ahem – “treated” to red and white Great Wall 2002 wines at the state dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao last week. This was a contrast to Nixon’s visit back in the early 70s, when the US delegation reportedly brought their own supply of Schramsberg 1969 blanc de blanc. Times have certainly changed… or have they? Judging from the images taken at the Great Hall dinner, Obama was more taken with the fuwuyuan than the food and wine. You can see a series of the pictures here.

Finally, The China Beat has provided a summing up of the more serious political aspects of Obama’s visit.