Diplomatic protocol that so obsesses foreign offices around the world has political meaning only when it is broken consciously or disrupted by unanticipated acts. Both happened during the ceremonial reception for Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House lawns on Thursday.

As India and China closely watch the other’s relationship with the US, comparisons between the White House receptions for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last July and Hu are inevitable.

Singh was among the few leaders whom President George Bush chose to offer a full ceremonial visit. Bush has been rather choosy about having pomp and ceremony for visiting leaders.

Most visits are usually treated as official or working visits that don’t involve the pageantry. The Chinese apparently insisted and got a full state visit for Hu.

But while Singh got a dinner banquet, Hu was offered only lunch, to the irritation of the Chinese. While this protocol difference was clearly a planned one, the protest by a Chinese woman produced an unexpected complication at Hu’s reception.

As Hu began to speak, the woman, who managed to get into the camera stand for the media directly facing the two leaders, began shouting.

In Chinese and heavily accented English she demanded: “President Bush, stop him from killing... President Bush, stop him from persecuting the Falun Gong”.

The Falun Gong is a Chinese religious movement with a huge and powerful following in China and beyond—which the Communist government has banned.

Though security guards hastily removed the protester, the damage was already done. President Bush had to quickly offer regrets to the visiting Chinese President. Hu was apparently gracious in accepting the apology.

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