'Terrible mistake': Britain's Hunt misidentifies wife as Japanese rather than Chinese

[webfact]

'Terrible mistake': Britain's Hunt misidentifies wife as Japanese rather than Chinese

 

Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt arrives at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, Britain, July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Files

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - In a slip of the tongue during his maiden trip to China as Britain's new foreign secretary,Jeremy Hunt on Monday told his Chinese counterpart that his wife was Japanese, but backtracked quickly.

 

At the start of talks in Beijing, the capital, Hunt told the government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, that he had a long relationship with China, beginning with a backpacking trip when he was 19.

 

"My wife is Japanese - my wife is Chinese. That's a terrible mistake to make," Hunt said, to laughter in the room.

 

"My wife is Chinese, and my children are half-Chinese, and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China."

 

He married his wife Lucia in July 2009 and they have a son and two daughters, according to his website.

 

Hunt, who took over this month following the resignation of his predecessor Boris Johnson, was visiting Beijing on only his second trip outside Britain since assuming his role as foreign minister.

 

The rest of his talks with Wang, a former Chinese ambassador to Japan who speaks fluent Japanese, went much better, though.

 

Hunt later told a news briefing that China had offered Britain talks on a post-Brexit free trade deal.

 

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-31

[colinneil]

No wonder this government has made such a c++k up of Brexit when the bloody brain dead foreign secretary cant even remember the nationality of his wife.

What a useless brain dead pr++k.

[Samui Bodoh]

1 minute ago, colinneil said:

No wonder this government has made such a c++k up of Brexit when the bloody brain dead foreign secretary cant even remember the nationality of his wife.

What a useless brain dead pr++k.

Colin-

 

Enough of this ambiguity; tell us what you really think!

 

 

 

[geriatrickid]

Nonevent. It was a minor slip up. He most likely knew that the man he was talking to had been the ambassador to Japan. Intelligent people with a lot going on can   have an overlap of knowledge that  comes out as a minor  blip.

 

Anyone making a case about this needs needs to get a grip on reality.

Busy people make errors like this all the time. Is it any worse than mixing up people's names?

[tonbridgebrit]

Jeremy Hunt, for a moment, thought that his Chinese wife is Japanese. That's an easy mistake to make, Japanese and Chinese do actually look almost the same.


From the article "My wife is Chinese, and my children are half-Chinese, and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China."  There's people who reckon that senior politicians shouldn't marry and have kids with foreign women. China is harmless and not a threat to world peace, so I reckon it's okay for Britain's Foreign Secretary to marry a Chinese woman, and also have kids with her.

[zoza]

This just says what the standard of politicians running this country is like and if others often make the same ''mistake'' well maybe they deserve these

idiots, as no matter how busy people I know have been, I cannot  recall any of them coming out with statements like this, maybe not busy enough...…LOL LOL.. 

Edited July 30, 2018 by zoza
sticking key

[FritsSikkink]

26 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Nonevent. It was a minor slip up. He most likely knew that the man he was talking to had been the ambassador to Japan. Intelligent people with a lot going on can   have an overlap of knowledge that  comes out as a minor  blip.

 

Anyone making a case about this needs needs to get a grip on reality.

Busy people make errors like this all the time. Is it any worse than mixing up people's names?

A minor slip up, Chinese and Japanese had terrible wars between them. Hunt made enough errors in his career though, while he was very busy to demolish the NHS.

[Get Real]

On 7/31/2018 at 6:25 AM, geriatrickid said:

Nonevent. It was a minor slip up. He most likely knew that the man he was talking to had been the ambassador to Japan. Intelligent people with a lot going on can   have an overlap of knowledge that  comes out as a minor  blip.

 

Anyone making a case about this needs needs to get a grip on reality.

Busy people make errors like this all the time. Is it any worse than mixing up people's names?

Yep, surely! And judging out of your full comment. Should we accept that one as a major <deleted>up, then, rather than a minor slip?

[Get Real]

Hunt, Hunt, Hunt. You keep up this intelligent manor, you will soon find yourself at the same level as old Boris. I guess he left the building, right?

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Jeremy Hunt, for a moment, thought that his Chinese wife is Japanese. That's an easy mistake to make, Japanese and Chinese do actually look almost the same.


From the article "My wife is Chinese, and my children are half-Chinese, and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China."  There's people who reckon that senior politicians shouldn't marry and have kids with foreign women. China is harmless and not a threat to world peace, so I reckon it's okay for Britain's Foreign Secretary to marry a Chinese woman, and also have kids with her.

I agree. Japan women and Chinese women are similar looking. Easy mistake to make.

 

So Hunt's offspring are mixed race. Not of a surprise that given that his wife is who she is.

[Emster23]

 

Cracks me up

[canopus1969]

What does it matter - these Asians a look the same in any case     ?

[RandolphGB]

Sounds like a deliberate joke, as suggested by the ''laughter in the room''. The guy's unlikely to forget what nationality his wife is.

[overherebc]

Load of fuss about absolutely nothing.

You really wan't to see fireworks?????

Call your wife your ex-wife's names when in company.

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

'Terrible mistake'

too terrible...

time to commit seppuku..., oh no that's Japanese also 

[colinneil]

4 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Load of fuss about absolutely nothing.

You really wan't to see fireworks?????

Call your wife your ex-wife's names when in company.

Even worse call your ex wifes name during intercourse.

[overherebc]

10 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Even worse call your ex wifes name during intercourse.

That instigates what is termed in the Kama Sutra as the 

'Bucking Bronco' postion.

??

Edited July 31, 2018 by overherebc

[Guest]

3 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Nonevent. It was a minor slip up. He most likely knew that the man he was talking to had been the ambassador to Japan. Intelligent people with a lot going on can   have an overlap of knowledge that  comes out as a minor  blip.

 

Anyone making a case about this needs needs to get a grip on reality.

Busy people make errors like this all the time. Is it any worse than mixing up people's names?

I agree. You Germans have tendency to overreact to minor details.

[KKr]

34 minutes ago, overherebc said:

That instigates what is termed in the Kama Sutra as the 

'Bucking Bronco' postion.

??

followed by extracourse on the couch and of course no course at meal time .

[overherebc]

16 minutes ago, KKr said:

followed by extracourse on the couch and of course no course at meal time .

Well you might end up wearing dinner rather than eating it.

[KKr]

Joking aside, I had several occasions that I did not immediately remember the name of the person I signed a transaction with, embarrassing. but not lethal, and mr. Hunt appropriately corrected the same sentence apparently. 

I'd say Good for him that he does care about his wife, and not about her nationality at birth.

[Tradewind777]

Maybe he has a Tokyo wife too. I mean how many guys have a Manchester missus and a Bangkok wife to boot. It’s definateoy hard to mix them up though. 

I would think his Chinese wife will make his life hard when he gets home!

[AsiaHand]

It sounds like The UKs leaders are as ignorant as ours in The US

[CanuckThai]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

Load of fuss about absolutely nothing.

You really wan't to see fireworks?????

Call your wife your ex-wife's names when in company.

...my wife's name is: "dawling".   My name is "dawling" also , but I recognize and occasionally respond to MyKenidaa ATM... ?

Edited July 31, 2018 by CanuckThai
penmanship

[sanemax]

The reality is that he didnt actually think that his Wife was Japanese .

It was merely a slip of the tongue ( that was immediately corrected), whilst talking about speaking Japanese

  "as a new foreign sec: when reflecting in English with the Chinese on a conversation you had with them in Japanese about your Chinese wife, don’t get any of those mixed up! Apologies to the long-suffering Mrs H…!’"

[hansnl]

5 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Jeremy Hunt, for a moment, thought that his Chinese wife is Japanese. That's an easy mistake to make, Japanese and Chinese do actually look almost the same.


From the article "My wife is Chinese, and my children are half-Chinese, and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China."  There's people who reckon that senior politicians shouldn't marry and have kids with foreign women. China is harmless and not a threat to world peace, so I reckon it's okay for Britain's Foreign Secretary to marry a Chinese woman, and also have kids with her.

China harmless and not a threat to world peace?????

Dream on.

[dick dasterdly]

5 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Nonevent. It was a minor slip up. He most likely knew that the man he was talking to had been the ambassador to Japan. Intelligent people with a lot going on can   have an overlap of knowledge that  comes out as a minor  blip.

 

Anyone making a case about this needs needs to get a grip on reality.

Busy people make errors like this all the time. Is it any worse than mixing up people's names?

Exactly.

 

Every now and again our brains are thinking way ahead of what we're actually saying, and so our mouths say something different to that intended!

 

Fortunately, Hunt's ears heard what he had actually said - and so he immediately corrected the mistake.  Everyone at the event understood this, understood and laughed.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

Exactly.

 

Every now and again our brains are thinking way ahead of what we're actually saying, and so our mouths say something different to that intended!

 

Fortunately, Hunt's ears heard what he had actually said - and so he immediately corrected the mistake.  Everyone at the event understood this, understood and laughed.

Yes , like "We were speaking about my Japanese Wife in........I mean , we were speaking about my Chinese Wife in Japanese" .

[sammieuk1]

I mix his name up every time I see him?

[aussie11950]

Newsworthy.

I think not. 

There is much more I want to know about in Thailand, reporting in corruption, are the  police monitoring the roads, will they educate Thai's on hygiene etc, not a very minor slip of the tongue.