Recently Hillary Clinton and Tim Geithner visited China and appeared on the popular Chinese TV show "Appointment With Lu Yu". American politicians get media and news coverage all the time when they visit China, but Clinton and Geithner were the first to appear on what is more of a talk show than a news channel. I think Hillary connected very well with the Chinese masses in that she presented herself as more of a real person than a politician. There was no discussion of debates or politics; what was talked about was Clinton's family and background. Clearly, this was deft move intended to bridge the gap between U.S. politicians and the average Chinese.
On the other hand, Geithner has always been well-liked by the Chinese public. He attended Peking University to learn Chinese and is well known for playing basketball there. His Chinese name is Gao Yiran (Chinese 高逸然). Gao meaning tall and Yiran meaning something like "naturally free soul". By having a Chinese name, attending school in Beijing, and speaking excellent Chinese, Geithner has cast himself in a favorable light among the Chinese people; very rarely do they see important Western politicians show such deep and sincere appreciation for their culture.
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