Putin Hits on China's First Lady, Censors Go Wild

[eipstudios]

Hong Kong (CNN) -- It was fleeting moment but one that Chinese censors were quick to snuff out.

At an APEC event to watch the fireworks in Beijing on Monday night, Russian President Vladimir Putin created a few of his own by slipping a shawl over the shoulders of Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A smiling Peng Liyuan kindly accepted the offer, but seconds later deftly slipped the shawl off into the hands of a waiting aide.

The small act of chivalry, quickly but politely rebuffed, unfolded live on state television, with voiceover from a CCTV anchor, stating simply: "President Putin has placed a coat on Peng Liyuan."
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A hashtag based on the same words quickly gained momentum on social media where the video was posted and reposted, according to Foreign Policy. However, by morning, there was little trace of it left.

Searches for the video and hashtag on China's twitter-like Weibo and messenging service WeChat turned up a smattering of comments and broken links, leaving users to surmise that China's Internet police had deemed the material too potentially damaging to share.

Some remained though, including this link to the photo with the loosely translated comment: "China's first lady's boundless charm wins over Mr. Putin."

A still image seems to show Putin glancing in Xi's direction as he placed draped the shawl. There's been no comment from Xi, who was sitting nearby, talking with an aide and President Obama during the exchange, which has been dubbed "coatgate" by some foreign press.

There's no reporting of the incident on China's state news agency, Xinhua, or state television network, CCTV.

It remains unclear what Putin's intentions were. Was he trying to further warm relations with Beijing? Or was there just a chill in the air?

Some international media saw a whole lot more.

The headline in the Sydney Morning Herald announced that Putin "cracks on to" the first lady. Slate said he "flirts with" Peng, while Foreign Policy went with "hits on."

A president's seating arrangement hasn't attracted this much attention since Obama was seen laughing with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at Nelson Mandela's funeral.

At least Putin didn't try to snap a selfie.

That would have really sent the censors into overdrive.

[RummyBoy]

Hardly hitting on her but of course you can spin it any way you want.

Maybe it would have been better for Putin to ask politely.

But then did Putin ask politely to Crimea prior to invasion?

I also don't think she rebuffed him, she was probably more concerned about her appearance on tv rather than being cold (as woman always are).

[HollywoodRevenue]

[HollywoodRevenue]

[woj]

Originally Posted by HollywoodRevenue

[Manfap]

Is that as bad as GWB Merkal backrub a few years back?

[seeandsee]

he didt know she have a coat, what now?

[editeur]

Merkel should be furious now

[John-ACWM]

Originally Posted by HollywoodRevenue

[Bashir]

Originally Posted by John-ACWM

[nico-t]

Originally Posted by Manfap

Is that as bad as GWB Merkal backrub a few years back?

yup it's a disaster

[sensdac]

go putin

[appsfcm]

long live putin

[ciipwf]

fire in the hole

[jfamffg]

go go go

[freecartoonporn]

lol.,., nice

[oppoten]

Originally Posted by HollywoodRevenue

She looks beautiful in that pic.

[czarina]

my god, the press is out of control! On what planet, being chivalrous means hitting on someone?

[bufabufa]

next coat on USA first lady

[newB]

Originally Posted by czarina

my god, the press is out of control! On what planet, being chivalrous means hitting on someone?

The article that I read about this showed that while this was happening her hubby was oblivious to her discomfort while chatting with Obama a couple of seats to her right. Since China places so much weight on decorous behavior, and as the host nation, it seems reasonable that was the real reason behind the Chinese media suppressing the images.

However, the article I read did say that Putin's man-of-action reputation has made him a bit of a heartthrob among Chinese women.

[charlie g]

so this constitutes news? Holy shit, things are worse than I imagined.

[eipstudios]

Originally Posted by czarina

my god, the press is out of control! On what planet, being chivalrous means hitting on someone?

Li Xin, director of Russian and central Asian studies at Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said: "It's a tradition in Russia for a man of dignity to respect ladies on public occasions, and in a cold country like Russia, it is very normal that a gentleman should help ladies take on and off their coats.

"But the Chinese may not be accustomed to that."

China is traditionally conservative on public interaction between unrelated men and women, and the public show of consideration.

[eipstudios]

Acceptable Public Behavior in China

Nodding is used to greet somebody.

Keep gestures and unusual facial expressions to a minimum. Chinese do not use their hands when speaking, and are annoyed by people who do.

Avoid touching, as Chinese people dislike being touched by strangers.

There is not an emphasis on emotions in China, so be careful on how often you use them.

Do not spit. Spitting is unacceptable and a fineable offense.

Always arrive on time.

Do not discuss business during the meal.

Always leave some food on your plate. A clean plate indicates that you were not given enough food, and this is a huge insult.

Leave some tea in your cup if you do not want a refill.

Slurping and belching at the table can be perfectly acceptable.

Chinese people enjoy testing the ability of a foreigner to handle his or her alcohol, so be ready to drink.

Do not tip. It is considered an insult.

Always be on time for a meeting or appointment. Being late is an insult.

If you are handed a business card, make sure to look at it before you put it away.

Not looking at a business card before putting it away results in a breach of protocol.

When presenting your business card, do it with both hands. Also make sure that the business card includes your title, and one side of the business card is printed in Chinese.

When designing presentations, keep material in black and white. Certain colors have special meanings in Chinese culture, and the meanings are mostly negative.

Do not mention deadlines. Remain patient, as Chinese like to extend negotiations beyond official deadlines.

When the meeting is finished, leave first. Chinese expect you to leave before they do.

Avoid negative replies. Negative replies are impolite. Instead of saying no, say maybe, even if you mean no. Chinese people do the same to you.

If Chinese people say things like ?this is not a serious problem?, or ?this is not a big deal?, it usually means there is a problem.

Expect to answer intrusive questions about your age, income, title, family status and other personal topics. If you do not want to answer a question, give a broad answer, but remain polite.

[2MuchMark]

Meanwhile in China...

[pornmasta]

Originally Posted by czarina

my god, the press is out of control! On what planet, being chivalrous means hitting on someone?

in france, if you watch some girl, this means that you try to hit on her (at least, she tends to think it, if she is blonde)

[HiddenDoorCash]

he banged her

[Tom-LifeSelector]

Hope there won't be war because of this :D :D