John Key has been on holiday in Japan for the last few days ahead of APEC while the real international leaders are in Korea for the G20. Key is keen to have a ‘pull-aside’ with Obama but, now, disaster: the US has limited the number of Kiwi media that can cover the smiling and waving.
The US has decreed that media coverage will be limited to one still photographer per country. It’s almost as if Obama wants to get ahead with the substantive talks about the economic future of the Asia-Pacific region without APEC descending into mere photo ops for little players who hope some of the big guys’ mana will rub off on them if the folks back home see them shaking hands.
Naturally, Key isn’t too happy about that. He has called in his chief negotiator to fight this vital issue of New Zealand.
And fair enough. If a half-pint, vacuous leader of a small country shakes hands with the big leaders who don’t remember his name and no-one is there to take pictures, was there any point in him being there at all?
PS. loved this from BR in comments yesterday:
Key (to aide): Okey dokey Mike let’s practice. You stand there and pretend to be Obama
Aide: Ok
Key: Now, I’ll come up to you and do the pull-aside
(Key walks up to aide, smiles and waves)
Key: Mr President! How nice to see you. Do you have a moment to discuss your argicultural subsidies?
Aide: Hi John. Look, sorry, I’ve got to talk to China about the reformation of the global economic system that will take us forward for the next half a century through a time of huge enviromental and political uncertainty.
Key: Mike! You’re doing it wrong!
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress