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From: White House Press Office <noreply@messages.whitehouse.gov>
To: Owens, Missy
Sent: Fri Aug 19 06:43:02 2011
Subject: FW: VP Pool 8/19 #4: Hu bilat


-----Original Message-----
From: Memoli, Michael [mailto:michael.memoli@latimes.com]
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 5:04 AM
To: Dudley, Amy
Subject: VP Pool 8/19 #4: Hu bilat

Back at the Great Hall of the People, VPOTUS and Chinese President Hu exchange pleasantries at the start of a bilateral meeting.

VP did arrive behind schedule, after taking Premier Wen up on an offer for a stroll on grounds of the leadership compound. Not clear if he got the tardy slip.

Outside the Fujian Room, Wu greeted the VP, who said that President Obama sent his best and looked forward to seeing him in Hawaii this fall at the APEC summit.

Biden then introduced each member of the U.S. delegation.

Inside the hall, Hu welcomed the VP to China, calling him and "old friend" of the Chinese people. He thanked him for his warm remarks at a luncheon in his honor this January at the State Department during his state visit.

Hu mentioned Biden's meetings yesterday and today. His visit, Hu said, would help him gain a deeper understanding of China and its people.

VP then spoke, apologizing yet again to the members of the Chinese delegation who have sat in for each of these meetings.

He said President Obama asked him to come here to reaffirm his commitment to a strong and enduring relationship with China.

This is his third visit, and he said he will expect to make many more during Hu's tenure.

Biden told Hu that he had made a very strong, positive impression on the American people when he visited in January.

So far on his visit, the meetings have been "extremely helpful," and he was building a strong relationship with Vice President Xi. He told Hu he had been impressed by Xi's "broad command of the issues."

About this time the pool was being directed to leave. Doing so as slowly as possible and without altercation, pool heard Biden continue to tell Hu that President Obama "genuinely looks forward to seeing you" in Hawaii for APEC, and that Hawaii was Obama's "favorite place in the world."

Pool returned to hotel. VP's official schedule for the day ended with the Hu meeting.

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Michael Memoli
Tribune Washington Bureau
mmemoli@tribune.com
202-374-6505

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