THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It was jazz on stage and a mix of Hollywood A-listers, big business types and prominent Chinese-Americans in the audience on Wednesday night as Michelle and Barack Obama threw a "quintessentially American" state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao.What was for dinner at the hottest event in town? Meat and potatoes, washed down with apple pie and ice cream for dessert, of course.
Singer Barbra Streisand, her husband-actor James Brolin and action film star Jackie Chan were supplying some of the celebrity star power for the A-list guest list.
Big business turned out in force, too, including Microsoft's Steven Ballmer and JP Morgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, among others. Other big names: fashion's Vera Wang, Vogue's Anna Wintour, artist Maya Lin, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to add some gravitas. Bill Clinton made the cut, too. >>> | Thursday, January 20, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama welcomes Hu Jintao with human rights rebuke: Barack Obama issued a challenge to the Chinese president over the country's human rights record as he made his welcoming address at the White House. >>> Toby Harnden, in Washington | Wednesday, January 19, 2011
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: China's Hu admits rights failings: At meetings with US counterpart, Chinese leader says "a lot still needs to be done" on human rights in his country. >>> Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Wednesday, January 19, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: China's inferiority in 'hard power' has turned to Beijing's advantage, and signs of its growing 'soft power' abound
The last time Hu Jintao arrived in Washington, back in 2006, he was given a White House working lunch, and by all accounts never forgave George W Bush for the perceived insult.
In contrast, it is highly unlikely China's leader could find fault with the welcome laid out by the Obama administration: a private White House dinner tonight to be followed later in the week by a full state banquet, a 21-gun salute and all the pomp and circumstance of a review of the troops.
The message is absolutely clear – these are the world's two leading powers meeting together as equals. It is that sense of equal status that distinguishes this Washington summit from earlier such encounters. >>> Julian Borger, Ewen MacAskill and Phillip Inman | Tuesday, January 18, 2011
