Protocol gaffes ruffle but not rock China-US ties

BEIJING, Apr 28: China's state-controlled media has hailed President Hu Jintao's five-nation tour as a triumphant progress from Seattle to Nairobi.

Yet Hu's trip, ending in Kenya tomorrow, may ultimately be remembered for three tense minutes on the White House lawn.

At the climax of Hu's US visit last Thursday, as he and Bush stood before reporters outside the White House, a follower of the Falun Gong spiritual movement outlawed in China bellowed slogans at both leaders before guards hauled her away.

That mishap, and other protocol gaffes at the White House, upstaged the meticulous political theatre that officials intended to convey friendly ties between Beijing and Washington.

Beijing analysts said the blunders would not deeply wound China-US relations or Hu's standing in the Chinese Communist Party, but some said the incidents have stoked Chinese fears that Washington does not respect China.

''The consensus in the party is to maintain relations with the United States,'' said Niu Jun, a professor of international relations at Peking University. ''The US attitude that it is a superpower and the big boss hasn't changed.'' Analysts said Hu pressed for a state visit, but Washington wanted simple protocol and felt Beijing did not offer the concessions on trade and currency policy that would have warranted such a high-level reception.

The protester, Wang Wenyi, was a reporter for the New York-based Epoch Times, which supports Falun Gong and publicises its claims that China grossly persecutes its followers.

''President Hu, your days are numbered. President Bush, make him stop persecuting Falun Gong,'' she yelled, referring to the spiritual meditation movement that is banned in China.

MISHAPS BLACKED OUT Bush apologised to Hu at the time, and Wang was later charged with harassing, intimidating and threatening a foreign official.

But images of her rippled round the world, along with a White House announcement mistakenly calling China's national anthem that of the ''Republic of China'' the official name of Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China considers a province.

A Chinese media blackout has kept the great majority of Chinese citizens ignorant of the White House mishaps.

But news has seeped out in China by word of mouth and the Internet, stoking popular claims that the United States either deliberately sought to belittle Hu or cared so little for his visit that basic precautions were neglected.

China's leaders care too much about relations with the United States to be swayed by such theories, said Shi Yinhong, an international affairs expert at the People's University.

But the perceived slights may make it harder for Hu to set aside formalities in future meetings with US leaders, he added.

''This won't affect Hu Jintao's standing, but it may negatively affect his image of the United States. He cares very much about his image and this won't leave a good impression.'' The affront to Hu may also make him more reluctant to stake his personal prestige on private deals with Bush, including releasing political prisoners, said an expert on China-US relations at a Party think-tank who requested anonymity.

''If he wants to convince China's political elite, he cannot be too soft, weak towards the United States,'' said another Chinese political analyst who asked not to be identified.

Reuters