WTF Is It Now?!?

Bush came, but Hu conquered, paper says
Chinese president impresses Australians

The Chinese leader was gregarious; the American "president" aloof.

Bush left after 21 hours in Australia, stuck to the capital, and was whisked around in motorcades on routes swept clear of ordinary people. He declined to hold a news conference and was criticized in the usually pro-American press here for offering little beyond a pledge to get the outline of a free trade agreement with Australia completed soon.

Hu is lingering for three days. He took the traditional outing for visiting dignitaries -- a cruise on Sydney's splendid harbor. He met with Australian business executives at a working lunch, and, in an unusual move for a Chinese leader, held a news conference, albeit a fairly scripted affair.

"Bush came, Hu conquered," headlined the Financial Review, the conservative, business newspaper.