Beijing: Taking cue from US, China plans
to further prune the protocol ceremonies for the visiting
heads of state making them to appear more informal and
pragmatic.
The Chinese government has decided to simplify the
protocol for overseas visits of State leaders, ending the
practice of organising overseas Chinese to attend welcoming
and seeing-off ceremonies, said Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister
Cui Tiankai.
Cui is accompanying President Hu Jintao during his
current tour of the United States.
The new protocol demonstrates a people-oriented and
pragmatic working style, Cui told China Daily, impressed by
simplified protocol to welcome President Hu at Andrews Air
Force Base in Washington DC on Monday when he arrived there to
attend the Nuclear Security Summit.
The welcome ceremonies were over in just about five
minutes without the paraphernalia of arranged crowds or
children waving flags and welcome banners and President was
out in five minutes.
The Minister said China has moved the site of
welcoming foreign dignitaries from the airport to the square
outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing since 1978 doing away with mobilising crowds to the
welcome ceremonies.
Since the 1980s, no more reciprocal banquets were held
during Chinese leaders` overseas visits.
In 1991, seeing-off and welcoming-back ceremonies for
Chinese leaders` foreign visits were moved from the airport to
the Great Hall of the People. And in 2003, both ceremonies
were abolished.
PTI
