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Welcoming ceremony becomes short, sweet
By Dong Jidong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-14 07:43
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BEIJING - A simplified protocol welcomed President Hu Jintao when his plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC on Monday.
Unlike previous overseas visits by Chinese leaders, passionate crowds holding little flags and waving welcoming banners were not seen this time.
Coming out of the cabin at 11:03 am, Hu took only five minutes to shake hands with American officials, the Chinese ambassador and other welcoming guests before leaving the base.
The new protocol demonstrates a people-oriented and pragmatic working style, Cui said.
In fact, such a decision is another step in simplifying China's diplomatic protocol starting from the late 1970s.
Since 1978, the site for welcoming foreign dignitaries has been moved from the airport to the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and no more welcoming crowds have been organized.
Since the 1980s, no more reciprocal banquets were held during Chinese leaders' overseas visits.
In 1991, seeing-off and welcoming-back ceremonies for Chinese leaders' foreign visits were moved from the airport to the Great Hall of the People. And in 2003, both ceremonies were abolished.
Learning that the new protocol would be applied, many overseas Chinese who had called the Chinese Embassy and offered to welcome Hu at the airport expressed regret for not being there, as well as approval of the decision.
Zhu Lichuang, president of the Council of Chinese-American Associations in New York, said overseas Chinese could express patriotism through a variety of ways, and they were encouraged by each step of progress in China.
Xinhua contributed to the story.
China Daily
