China's President Undergoes SARS Checks (Will be shaking hands with President Bush)

TBO ^ | May 21, 2003 | Joe McDonald

[Judith Anne]

BEIJING (AP) -- A handshake with President Bush is taking on medical significance.

Chinese President Hu Jintao is undergoing medical checkups to ensure he isn't carrying the SARS virus when he meets Bush and other G-8 leaders next month in France.

Since Saturday, Hu and members of his delegation to the June 1-3 meeting also are limiting their visitors, having regular chest X-rays and being checked twice a day for fever, said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Guchang.

"All our efforts are to ensure there will be no one in our delegation with SARS," Liu said at a news conference.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome has killed at least 294 people and infected 5,200 on China's mainland.

Hu, who took office in March, will be making his first foreign trip as China's leader to attend a development conference, which is being held on the fringes of the G-8 meeting in the Alpine town of Evian.

Hu isn't taking part in the G-8 meeting itself, but plans to meet with Bush and other leaders, Liu said. He is also visiting Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan on the trip.

Bush and Hu first met last May when the Chinese leader, then the heir apparent to retiring President Jiang Zemin, visited the United States.

Nevertheless, Hu is still largely unknown, and the meeting in France will give other leaders a chance to try to understand the man who could lead China for the next 15 years.

Besides the United States, the G-8 also includes France, Germany, Japan, Britain, Canada, Italy and Russia.

[Judith Anne]

Why not a traditional bow, instead of a handshake with President Bush? I don't like this.

[Judith Anne]

ping

[JustPiper]

After watching Fox's series '24' season finally, I do not want anyone shaking hands with my President!

[SouthernFreebird]

I don't like it either....how about conference calling... now that works for me.

[Constitution Day]

I hope he takes along some of this.

[flutters]

Since Saturday, Hu and members of his delegation to the June 1-3 meeting also are limiting their visitors, having regular chest X-rays and being checked twice a day for fever, said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Guchang.

And to think that they just started taking these precautions on Saturday. They really should read FR more often.

[EternalHope]

Bbbut... SARS is under control in China. Hardly any new cases each day. No outbreak in rural areas, either. The 5 million reservists they called up for duty in rural areas in the general Beijing area were just to reasure the public.

(((It sounds like the top leadership is afraid of catching this THEMSELVES. This is really quite significant IMHO.)))

As usual with the Chinese government these days, part of this story sounded doubtful. Are the top guys really getting regular x-rays? Even if they exhibit no signs of respiratory illness? If so, then they are either badly misinformed, or they are REALLY worried.

BTW: Excellent find. Thanks for posting.

[Judith Anne]

I also hope they are checking the flight attendants on the plane that brings them to the summit.

I don't like this. China's president ought to stay at home and address his own national crises. China isn't participating, iirc.

[Judith Anne]

Just as an aside, I wonder which world leaders will be attending? Blair, Schroeder, Chiraq, Cretien?

I wish these summits would get no publicity whatsoever. They make me nervous for safety reasons.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Why not a traditional bow, instead of a handshake with President Bush? I don't like this.

When meeting with western leaders, isn't a handshake traditional, rather than a bow? I don't think there's anything sinister about this.

[Judith Anne]

I think they're really worried, myself.

[mabelkitty]

Why is he going anywhere near this evil regime?

[Judith Anne]

G8 summit. Teleconferencing would be a better idea, as Southern Freebird mentioned above.

[pbear8]

Maybe they could just wave...

[Judith Anne]

Nice photo. ;-D

[CounterCounterCulture]

The Japanese have it right with the bowing thing. :-)

[Betty Jo]

I hope that they have a whole section on SARS at this conference.

Lets see some real attacks on SARS.

Did you hear the Pres speaking to the grads a little while ago?

Big topic was AIDS in Africa.

How about talking about SARS coming to the USA?

Every thing that WHO and CDC says to do is after the fact.

Quarantine now,before it is too late.

Besides all the SARS scare, if we are at ORANGE ALERT, why isnt the Pres staying home, down in the bunker?

Why be flying ,when you know that death is not a deterent to plane rammers?

[Judith Anne]

Betty Jo, I don't necessarily want our president to stay home, but I wish the Chinese president would.

[JustPiper]

Maybe they could just wave...

Thank you much for my first laugh in hours ;)

[JustPiper]

The Japanese have it right with the bowing thing. :-)

Think about this CCC...when is bowing a bowing? LMAO! I am sooooo overtired.