Guess Hu’s Been Here?

Well, my parents were here for two weeks, and we had a fabulous time with them . . . but that’s not Hu I’m referring to.

Chinese President Hu Jintao just recently left after a five-day trip to Japan, and three of those days were spent right across the street from us at the New Otani Hotel. Since we haven’t been reading the Japanese papers, we didn’t know this was happening until one day walking home we noticed there were policemen stationed several feet apart for blocks in every direction from our apartment. Roads were cordoned off. Police were stopping cars to check license plates and drivers’ licenses. And men in dark suits with ear pieces, who must have been the Japanese version of Secret Service, were scurrying around everywhere.

President Hu was here for a Japan-China Summit, which is always a historic event given the bad blood between the two countries. In this case, Hu was meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on several issues, including CO2 emissions/greenhouse gases. China agreed to contain its growing volume of CO2 emissions which is causing alarm around the world. There was a joint statement to combat global warming, with (I think) Japan agreeing to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And there was some kind of agreement over six disputed natural gas fields in the East China Sea. As Hu said, “Asia’s two biggest energy consumers have no choice other than to improve relations.” Amen.

Since Chinese relations with the previous Japanese Prime Minister were a bit frosty due to his militaristic predilection for visiting war shrines, the current meetings are seen as part of a continuing thaw. There were the usual symbolic events: President Hu played ping pong with a Japanese Olympic table tennis team member who gracefully allowed the leader a few points. President Hu said that China would “lend” Tokyo two new giant pandas, since the Ueno Zoo’s Ling Ling died a few weeks ago (and was the last giant panda here).

Topics like Tibet were glossed over. And rather than continuing to demand an apology for Japanese war crimes, President Hu pointedly commended Japan for its committment to peace over the last 60 years. Japanese consumers wanted more of a promise of new food safety laws from China (since they’re still upset over an incident of tainted frozen gyoza from China in January in which several people got sick but no one died), but Hu just made some vague statements without promising anything concrete. There were a few demonstrations, but nothing violent. Overall the visit was considered a success.

On Hu’s last day in Tokyo, Daniel and I were out on our balcony watching the elaborate preparations and motorcade across the street.  There were police motorcycles in formation. Hundreds of people in dark suits running around. Black vans and limousines. Scores of reporters and photographers. It was so elaborately choreographed that I grabbed my camera to see if I could capture any of it. But before I took even one shot, it occurred to me that a flash of light coming from a balcony right across the street might not be a good idea. The last thing I wanted was to be mistaken for a sniper and picked off by an overly nervous policeman. So Daniel and I just kept watching and making bad Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First” jokes:

–”Who’s there?”

–”Hu.”

–”That’s what I’m asking you: who’s there?”

–”And that’s what I’m telling you. Hu is there.” Etc.

   We cracked ourselves up that way until the motorcade had left. And then we went back inside to re-adjust to NOT living across the street from the leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world.