English: CCTV anchor Rui Chenggang jokes about Gary Locke taking economy class, netizens' praise and blame are divided.

by cnidb0us4yw on 2011-09-19 12:22:12

Rui Chenggang (Picture source: Materials) 400 Application Conditions

Gary Locke said, I think, when I am such a casual and laid-back person, I truly represent the real practices of Americans. I hope the openness that I demonstrate can allow the people of China and the United States to know each other better, break down some barriers, eliminate misunderstandings, despite some cultural, political, economic, and philosophical differences between us.

The day before, when Gary Locke was interviewed by the media, he was asked why he took economy class to attend the conference. Gary Locke said that as a government official, whether it is officials from the US consulate or the Beijing embassy, including members of the President's cabinet, the general rule is to take economy class when flying.

Gary Locke also said that he was surprised by the media's constant attention to him. For example, there was a picture of him with a backpack buying coffee at the airport, and he didn't even know someone was taking a photo. Later, when he arrived in Beijing, he saw some media at the airport, which made him feel very surprised because he did not tell the media which airline he would take, what time, or where he would arrive.

This sentence was quickly posted on Weibo by netizens, spreading widely and sparking heated discussions among netizens. Famous netizen Li Qipeng commented that Rui Chenggang asked Gary Locke if he took economy class to remind the U.S. that it owed China a lot of money. That sentence is very typical. I hope my idol Rui Chenggang can ask Chinese officials who take first class if they are reminding the people that they owe them a lot of money.

TCR Tao's Weibo was also watched by many netizens. Netizen Chen Yanxi FLY asked, Is there any restriction on queue-jumping? Are there VIP cars with bodyguards? Are there any special requests for meals? Has there been any angry confrontation with flight attendants? Have there been any demands to be upgraded to first class? If not, I don't believe it! Netizen Dalian Tian Shang Ren Jian then said, Why didn't you take a picture? Why didn't you arrange a first-class seat? It will be more convenient to get visas in the U.S. in the future.

Because of Gary Locke, Rui Chenggang also became one of the focal points on Weibo yesterday. The reason is that yesterday morning, while hosting Davos, Rui Chenggang asked Gary Locke, "Are you sitting in economy class to remind everyone that the U.S. owes China a lot of money?"

Gary Locke: Taking economy class is a common rule.

However, famous host Rui Chenggang does not buy it. At noon on the 14th, he commented on Weibo: He always seizes every occasion and opportunity to promote American values with all his might. Only talking about the good things in America and rarely mentioning the bad things. That's his job. He may be the most willing to showcase himself among all former U.S. ambassadors to China, and also the best at showcasing himself. From carrying a backpack to drink coffee, to taking a tour bus, to taking economy class, everything has been precisely captured, spread, and discussed. He understands how the media works, having run for governor.

Participants call for no taking things out of context

Most netizens expressed dissatisfaction with Rui Chenggang's Weibo post. Ericacj said: He at least did something, what about our public servants? They explode in popularity once exposed! Pan Shiyi commented on Weibo: Not exaggerating others' mistakes means your own mistakes won't be exaggerated. For Chenggang to reflect on. Ren Zhiqiang then forwarded Pan Shiyi's comment and added: Exaggerate Chenggang's mistakes.

However, Feng Jun, president of Patriot, confirmed the question last night on Weibo. Feng Jun said that this morning, Rui Chenggang hosted Davos and asked Gary Locke. I was in the front row. Rui first joked in English whether Gary Locke sitting in economy class was a reminder to everyone that the U.S. owes China money, leading into the forum's first topic: the depreciation of the dollar and the European debt crisis and its impact on China's assets. Feng Jun said that Rui Chenggang's humorous on-site effect was excellent, and Gary Locke himself was very satisfied. He reminded netizens: Don't take things out of context!

Netizen Lian Peng was skeptical that Rui Chenggang asked the question, saying: This joke is everywhere on Weibo. Did Rui Chenggang really say these words? I searched online, but there were no proper reports, can anyone prove it? I'm sure it's just a joke.

Southern Metropolitan Daily reported on September 15 that at around 11 a.m. on September 13, a netizen posted a Weibo update saying: Gary Locke flew to Dalian today. He sat in economy class, seat number 11C. How could it be otherwise, compared to domestic officials of all sizes who demand special channels and first-class cabins! The Weibo also posted a photo of Gary Locke sitting in the economy cabin of the plane. When Gary Locke came to China for his assignment earlier, dragging his luggage and buying coffee at the airport had been live-streamed by netizens, making him a hot figure on Weibo for a while.

Netizen glx555 commented: American taxpayers' money isn't so easy to spend! However, some netizens thought it wasn't a big deal. Netizen Jin Bo9859 said, Seat 11C isn't an ordinary seat that anyone can get, often referred to as the second business class. Everyone can experience it on the electronic seat selection website; this seat is usually impossible to reserve or occupied by flight attendants. Netizen Fallsail also said, The seat is also in the VIP section of economy class, generally reserved for subordinates of high-ranking officials domestically, so there is still a bit of special treatment.

CCTV host Rui Chenggang joked about Gary Locke taking economy class, and netizens have mixed praise and criticism.

Uniquely, last night, Gary Locke was spotted boarding a flight back to Beijing and posted on Weibo. At 9:09 p.m. last night, netizen TCR Tao posted on Weibo: Today I flew on an early morning flight 6137 from Dalian to Beijing, and happily, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke, returned to Beijing on my plane. There weren't many attendants, no large entourage to see him off, no luxurious convoy on the ground, just himself and an assistant each carrying two suitcases sitting in the front economy class. Too low-key, smiling at everyone on the plane. Really too low-key, a stark contrast to ours...