Visit To China Brings Out The Business Traveler In Obama

November 16, 2009 at 9:37 AM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

Whereas Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie might be our Super World Travelers, there's no doubt that President Obama is our Super Business Traveler. After wrapping up a summer of whirlwind around-the-world meetings and appearances with his family in tow, autumn is marked by his huge solo visit this week to China.

Over the weekend, Obama landed in Shanghai after a quick visit to Japan and Singapore. Already in China, he has hosted a town hall-style meeting with Chinese students to discuss freedom of information—with a small nod to Twitter, saying: "Well, first of all, let me say that I have never used Twitter...my thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone." This came in response to China's past ban on Twitter, although access to the website was re-opened at university campuses for this special event.

Since Obama's journey around Asia is only a total of eight days, and he still has yet to visit Beijing and wrap thing up in Seoul, South Korea, we're wondering if he's even getting a chance to have some proper dim sum. This jaunt, unlike his summer voyages, is definitely all business—no walking the Great Wall of China or visiting Shanghai's MoCA Museum for him, and we feel bad that he's totally missing out.

All that jet lag and sleeping on the road (or on Air Force One, rather), and not even a bowl of good rice cakes and green tea. Maybe Obama will just have to go back to China and Korea to get a real taste of the cities, and maybe he'll take us along to show him the best little holes-in-the-wall...a traveler can dream, right?

Related Stories:
· Obama In China {Updates) [Shanghaiist]
· Obama Pushes Rights With Chinese Students [NYT]
· Obama Around The World [Jaunted]

[Photo: kaiserkuo via Shanghaiist]

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