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President dons cap and dishes out hugs

(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-21 05:48

During President Hu Jintao's visit to Boeing's plant near Seattle on Wednesday, he gave manufacturing supervisor Paul Dernier an unexpected hug after the latter presented him a Boeing baseball cap.

The president promptly donned it, grinning, and threw his arms over Dernier's shoulder as the assembled media snapped pictures.

"A lot of people I talked to said they've never seen him hug anyone," said Dernier, who has supervised the planes bound for China. "So I was totally caught off guard."

Dernier said the president thanked him in English.

"It was my first presidential hug I feel pretty special."

(China Daily 04/21/2006 page1)