Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

theodp writes to mention a C|Net article about Chinese President Hu Jintao's historic first visit to the U.S.. The catch is that his first dinner won't be at the White House. It will be at Bill Gates' manse. From the article: "The approximately 100-person guest list is a who's who of the U.S. Pacific Northwest power elite, including Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz and Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire, said event organizers. The guests will undergo strict security checks before entering Gates' lodge-style, 66,000-square-foot home overlooking Lake Washington with a reported seven bedrooms, six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, a domed library, a reception hall and an artificial estuary stocked with salmon and trout. Gates and Gregoire are expected to introduce and welcome Hu, who will then offer a toast in front of the gathering."

Comments

geek pres

[NoInfo]

Did you know Hu Jintao got his degree in hydraulic engineering? Why can't we have an engineer presient?

Re:geek pres

[metlin]

>Did you know Hu Jintao got his degree in hydraulic engineering? Why can't we
>have an engineer presient?

Because we elect ours. Sad but true.



Umm, India is the world's largest democracy and has a rocket scientist and engineer for a President and an economist/professor of economics for a Prime Minister.

Your point?

Ladies and Gentlemen...

[Puff of Logic]

...I give you the future. It used to be that heads of state met openly, whilst businessmen made deals behind the scenes. Today, we see a head of state openly meeting with arguably the most powerful businessman in the United States. In a few years, the business men will simple meet, having done away with the facade of "heads of state." We live in interesting times.

Clever

[Nemus]

This is probably intended more as a snub towards Bush, as opposed to a show of favor towards Gates. While it is typical for business leaders to meet with heads of state (Gates has done it several times, I believe) they typically do it on the head of state's home soil, as a sign of showing favor towards the nation. On the other hand, by making his first official visit to the U.S. one to the home of a person who is still technically a private citizen, Hu is essentially slapping Bush across the face. Otherwise, theres no real reason for Hu to come to the US, as opposed to Bush visiting China.

Honestly, I'm really not sure how many times since Western style diplomacy became the Gold standard internationally that something like this has happened. For a foreign head of state to visit a country and not visit at least someone in the government first is highly, highly irregular. This isn't so much a tech story, I think, as a political one.

Re:Clever

[interstellar_donkey]

It almost seems as if the world doesn't have time to keep up the charade. You can meet with US politicians and talk till your face turns blue, but the reality is action and policy is directed by business leaders, and with rare exception our politicans, from the President on down, are going to accomidate those who fund their campaigns.

Perhaps China realizes this. Why meet with Bush when you know trade policy is going to be in the hands of the American tycoons? Heck, we probably wouldn't go to war unless it somehow served the interests of America's business power elite.

I'm not saying this is exactly how it is with America's politics, but it sure as heck seems that way. And if it's true, China is snubbing Bush because they simply want to talk to who's really in charge.