Hu Stalker 2

The Hu stalking was pretty straightforward yesterday: airport, downtown, Redmond, Medina, roughly. You could have followed the helicopters around to get a good idea of the Chinese president's movements, or the protests were also a good indicator. Notable signage we saw around the CBD included Falun Dafa and the old standby: Free Tibet, which we love to see. It's just comforting to know that despite all the trendy new reasons to be pissed off at China there are still diehards out there willing to dust off the Free Tibet signs they drew up in the 90s. You go, protesters. Free Tibet.

Other media sources recount Hu's first day in Seattle like desperate lovers portraying a first date here and here.

In the ornate Congress Room of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Hu announced in Mandarin, "I'm extremely happy (about) being in Seattle."

Hu later toured part of Microsoft's Redmond campus, walking in on a red carpet to loud applause from employees.

Wow, red carpet and loud applause. That must have been a lot of fun. Today Boeing empolyees will stand in front of the cattle prods and applaud while Hu delivers a "major policy address" at the Future of Flight thingy up by Paine Field in Mukilteo.

Today's agenda:

Morning tour of Boeing's Everett plant with Mulally. At 10:30 a.m., President Hu addresses Boeing employees.

Luncheon speech, billed as "a major policy address," at the Future of Flight museum in Everett.

12:45 p.m. departure from Paine Field.