Joe Biden Smooths China Relations With Joke About How They Own U.S.

The White House sent official court jester Joe Biden for a visit with U.S. corporate parent company China to do a little self-deprecating diplomacy dance routine for China's annoyed rulers to convince them the wayward middle management in Congress won't sink their investments. Richard Nixon used to just be able to mail a few ping-pong players to Beijing and get a nice "we're cool now" note from the head office, which actually still sounds like a better idea than mailing Joe Biden to Beijing, but here we are. Now, in 2011:  "You ARE national affairs," Biden quipped to Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. What other hilarious jokes does Joe Biden have for China?

From Reuters:  

After on a stroll up the red carpet, Biden found a familiar face during introductions to the Chinese delegation.

"Remember what I told you last time: if I had hair like yours I'd be president," the 68-year-old VP with a well-groomed but receding silver hairline said.

BA-DA BING! We feel so sorry for the translators who had to work these events. And then:

"I used to have an important job when I was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee," Biden told Wu. "I had a big office, large staff. Then I became vice president."

Members of the press pool speculated that joke, at least, may have been lost in translation.

Our favorite:

Biden apologized to members of the Chinese delegation who had to listen to him speak "again and again and again."

Dude, China, even we cannot get Joe Biden to apologize for that. We can pretty much guess who is the new favorite. [ Reuters ]