Obama audience didn't reflect vibrant China
- Source: Global Times
- [23:20 November 17 2009]
- Comments
Shanghai is a lively cosmopolitan city. But in US President Barack Obama's town hall talks with Shanghai's students Monday, we cannot see the same level of energy from Shanghai's young people.
During the long wait for Obama's appearance, there was a dead silence.
The young students there were probably all selected from the youth league committees at various universities.
When coming to the questioning section, the insipid questions from these youths helped relax Obama and allowed him to talk comfortably.
This selective group of audience clearly avoided the sensitive, pointed or challenging questions, including some that Obama was very interested in.
Therefore, Jon Huntsman, US ambassador to China, had to play the role of netizens' representative and raised the question of Internet censorship.
Obama got a lot of mileage out of the issue of free flow of information and did not forget to mention his bad feelings when facing online criticism.
These Shanghai students' English skill was also disappointing. One of them was so stammering that people felt sorry for her.
The way these youth presented their questions was also very clichéd, all following the patter of salute, self-introduc-tion and then question.
Why couldn't we find some people who can speak better English and ask more creative questions to Obama?
The fundamental reason behind the lack of energy for these young people might be their lack of confidence.
Even the university president, who served as the host of the talks, stumbled in his closing speech.
Southern Metropolis Daily
