Anchorage, Alaska:
Amid a heated commence to the 1st face-to-face higher-level Sino-U.S. talks of the Biden administration, the two countries’ major diplomats discovered a short moment to exchange quips – about translators.
After U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened with difficult comments at their meeting in an Anchorage hotel, China’s major diplomat Yang Jiechi responded with a pointed 15-minute speech in Chinese even though the U.S. side awaited translation.
At the finish, Yang smiled and mentioned: “This is a test for the translator,” in English.
Blinken mentioned the translator must get a raise.
The British-educated Yang, a former ambassador to Washington, speaks excellent English and is recognized to scare China’s translators on occasion by correcting their words.
Both Yang and State Councilor Wang Yi, who is also at the talks, are recognized for their sharp public defences of China.
However, a extensively shared video clip on Chinese social media from the talks showed a softer side to the two.
Wang turned to ask Yang as they walked down a hallway at the Anchorage hotel irrespective of whether he had had his lunch.
“I had instant noodles,” Yang replied.
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