U.S. Ambassador's humble actions cause a stir in China
August 18, 2011
The U.S. government has been putting a lot of emphasis on its relationship with China, and recent, seemingly harmless actions by the American ambassador to China have helped soften the Chinese view of American culture. The new U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke and his daughter stopped at a coffee shop in the Seattle airport, en route to Beijing. A Chinese businessman snapped a photo, which he posted on a popular Chinese social media site, Sina Weibo, according to The Telegraph.
The photo went viral and caused quite a stir among Chinese citizens, as the New York Times reports that Chinese politicians are more commonly indulging in privileges and wouldn't be caught dead ordering their own coffee. The photo's humbling quality was immediately confirmed when Locke and his family arrived in Beijing. Pictures were snapped of the Ambassador and his family carrying their own luggage, and taking a minivan home from the airport because the luxury car that was sent wasn't big enough for all of them.
This event is a reflection of President Obama's visit in 2009, where he shocked onlookers by holding his own umbrella when he disembarked from his plane. People can use international calling cards to make calls to China to talk about the humble nature of Americans in China.