Russian President Vladimir Putin solicitously draping a coat around Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan woud have been seen as an act of chivalry in most settings, but overzealous Chinese authorities elevated it to an eyebrow-raising diplomatic gaffe by scrubbing the internet of any photographic evidence.
President Putin, whose overt virility has even prompted a Russian lawmaker to ask women to access his genetic material to have his baby, may or may not have been "hitting on" the Chinese first lady, but it will be the most enduring image of the 2014 APEC summit.
US President Barack Obama, who walked away with a huge climate deal from the summit, would have heaved a sigh of relief. Just a year ago, it was his turn to do a diplomatic face-palm. At Nelson Mandela's memorial service, POTUS and David Cameron took selfies with the blond and attractive Danish PM Helle Thorning Schmidt. Let's just say Michelle Obama was not amused.
0 Comments