Aquino reveals ’embarrassing’ boo-boo with Xi at APEC

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Awkward? Aloof? He was more lost in translation. 

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said that translation problems, not the South China Sea dispute, prevented him from constantly conversing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila last week. (READ: Aquino, Xi endure ‘awkward’ moment in APEC)

Aquino also revealed that a technical difficulty during Xi’s speech at the APEC leaders’ retreat caused a “minor embarrassment” for him as host of the 20 world leaders. The President made the admission in an interview with Philippine media here after the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) summit and related meetings on Sunday, November 22. 

The President explained that when Xi was speaking at the APEC retreat, one interpreter mistakenly pressed a button that brought the feed from Xi’s interpreter to the wrong audio channel. 

The error caused the APEC leaders to shift from one translation channel to another, with even US President Barack Obama noticing the mistake. 

“Nagumpisa [si Xi], pinahinto, nagumpisa ulit, medyo – ‘nung paglipat namin ng channel, si President Obama pa ang nagsabi dapat channel one ‘yung English e. Sabi niya ‘channel 6’, o lipat kami sa channel 6. Pagdating sa channel 6. ‘Yung mga operator biglang sinabi ‘Dapat nasa channel one tayo’. Hindi naman kami inabisuhan diniretso doon sa one, hinto na naman si Xi Jinping. Siyempre napahiya tayo ng konti doon,” Aquino said. 

(Xi began speaking. He was asked to stop. Then he started again. When we shifted channels, it was even President Obama who said that the English translation should have been on channel one. He said ‘channel 6’ so we shifted to channel 6. Now the operators told us, ‘We should be on channel one.’ We were not advised directly that it was channel one. So Xi Jinping stopped again. We were a bit embarrassed there.) 

Aquino said he made it a point to apologize to Xi for what happened, and the Chinese leader was gracious in response. 

“‘Nung lunch, humingi muna ako ng paumanhin doon sa retreat. Tapos ‘nung lunch na late na lunch pa, nilapitan ko at ipinaliwanag ko ‘yung paliwanag sa akin. Tapos ang sagot sa akin ‘May mga technical ‘yan e, nangyayari naman talaga ‘yan maski saan e,’” Aquino said. 

(During lunch, I apologized for what happened in the retreat. And then during the late lunch, I approached him and I conveyed the explanation given to me. His response was, “These are really technical matters that happen anywhere.”) 

The flub even led to an opportunity for the two to talk. 

“Parang sa dulo hindi sisi, parang nag-thank you pa siya doon sa paliwanag. Ang pagkaintindi ko ano. Talagang tinanggap niya na wala tayong masamang intensyon,” Aquino said.

(In the end, he did not blame us but even said thank you for the explanation. That’s how I understand it. He really accepted that we had no ill intention.) 

Aquino and Xi have not had a formal bilateral meeting as relations between the Philippines and China deteriorated over the maritime dispute. Sino-Philippine ties hit the lowest point when Manila filed a historic arbitration case against Beijing before an international tribunal at The Hague. Hearings on the case resume on November 24.  

The two presidents only had an informal 10-minute conversation on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Beijing last year. This year, officials said Aquino and Xi talked for two minutes during the APEC meeting in Manila. 

‘No translator, no dialogue’ 

Aquino also explained why he did not talk to Xi during the opening ceremony of the APEC summit. 

The Chinese president was seen walking by himself as Aquino engaged Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in an animated conversation. Bachelet was in between Aquino and Xi during the long walk on the red carpet. 

News reports called it an “awkward” moment for the two leaders. Aquino said this was not the case. 

“Hinighlight noong naglakad kami doon sa isang activity sa APEC na hindi raw kami nag-uusap. Every time kaming nagkaroon ng interaction parating may interpreter. Iyong kapag sinabi ko sa kanyang ‘Good morning’ sagot niya sa akin Chinese. Noong naglalakad kami papunta doon sa function, wala akong katabi – wala siyang interpreter at wala rin akong interpreter. Nasa gitna namin si President Bachelet. So medyo mahirap talagang mag-uusap kayo kung iba ang lengguwaheng gagamitin niyo ‘di ba?”

(It was highlighted in one APEC activity that we were not talking. Every time we have an interaction, there is always an interpreter. When I tell him, ‘Good morning,’ his response to me is in Chinese. When we were walking to the function, we did not have interpreters. In between us was President Bachelet. So it was a bit hard to talk when you use different languages, right?) 

Asked about Xi being aloof, Aquino said the impression was wrong. 

“Sorry ha, nabasa ko lang somewhere na parang ano, paano ba ‘yon? ‘Aloof’ kami. Hindi aloof ano. Talagang kapag wala siyang translator, walang dialogue.”

(Sorry but I read somewhere that we were “aloof.” We were not aloof. It’s just that when there is no translator, there is no dialogue.) 

‘I tried to be devoid of emotion’ 

In the ASEAN summit at the Malaysian capital, the President had another tricky encounter with a different Chinese leader: Premier Li Keqiang. 

Li was present in the ASEAN-China Summit and the East Asia Summit, two of the 8 meetings here where Aquino criticized Beijing for its massive land reclamation in the South China Sea. (READ: Aquino to China: Why bar us from our own waters?)

Aquino and Li also did not have a bilateral meeting. The Philippine president though said he greeted Li at the holding room upon his arrival, and Li greeted him back. 

In his last ASEAN summit before stepping down in 2016, Aquino said he was straightforward in explaining the Philippine position. The chief executive said China should take the lead in finalizing a legally-binding Code of Conduct on the South China Sea instead of delaying it. 

“Sinubukan ko naman ilagay ‘yung sitwasyon sa perspective natin na devoid of emotion at may kasabay ‘nun, ‘yung nakikiusap. Kayo ‘yung malaki e, kayo ‘yung mas matagal nang sibilisasyon o kultura. Kayo ang leader sa ekonomiya, politics, et cetera. Pwede niyong dalin – pumunta sa mas magandang kaayusan ito.” 

(I tried to put the situation in our perspective, devoid of emotion while pleading at the same time. You are the big country. You have an older civilization or culture. You are the leader in economics, politics, etc. You can lead the dispute to a better conclusion.) 

Aquino said Li’s response was that China wanted to continue talks on finalizing the Code of Conduct. Li though did not give a timeline, with the Code delayed for 13 years. 

“Maganda na rin ‘yung reaction niya. Siyempre meron silang posisyon. Baka sa ngayon hindi pa nagtatagpo ‘yung mga posisyon natin.” (His reaction was good. Of course, they have their position. Maybe now, our positions just don’t align.) – Rappler.com