Spotlight falls on French first lady on China visit
State media doesn’t know what to call Valerie Trierweiler; try ‘first girlfriend’, blogger says
French President Francois Hollande is in China to boost bilateral economic ties, but his partner Valerie Trierweiler is drawing more attention from mainland internet users.
Trierweiler was welcomed by President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan when she arrived in Beijing with Hollande on Thursday, but there seemed to be a protocol-related problem.
In its main newscast on Thursday, China Central Television (CCTV) only mentioned Trierweiler by name, without giving her a title.
Hollande met Premier Li Keqiang yesterday before having lunch with Xi and Peng, and then heading to Shanghai to conclude his two-day trip.
Li said China and France shared a lot of "common interests" and China wanted to see a prosperous Europe. But he also said China was opposed to protectionist trade policies.
While state media have reported and commented extensively on Hollande's trip, with CCTV broadcasting the welcoming ceremony, many mainland internet users have asked why it only mentioned Hollande.
"Is it embarrassing to address Trierweiler as 'first girlfriend'?" a microblogger asked.