During President Hu Jintao's visit to Boeing's plant near Seattle on Wednesday, he gave manufacturing supervisor Paul Dernier an unexpected hug after the latter presented him a Boeing baseball cap.

 

The president promptly donned it, grinning, and threw his arms over Dernier's shoulder as the assembled media snapped pictures.

 

"A lot of people I talked to said they've never seen him hug anyone," said Dernier, who has supervised the planes bound for China. "So I was totally caught off guard."

 

Dernier said the president thanked him in English.

 

"It was my first presidential hug. I feel pretty special."

 

(China Daily April 21, 2006)