When Vice President Joe Biden met in 2011 with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing, the two men joked about their age.
“I note that we were born in the same year,” Wen said when the two made a joint public appearance. “You have spent about 35 years in public service, and I’ve been working in the government compound of Beijing for more or less the same period of time.”
“What a magnificent place,” Biden said of that facility. “Now I know why even though we were born in the same year, you look so much younger than I. You worked in a much more commodious environment than I do.”
As this column has noted before, Biden then thanked this communist leader for China’s help to fund the U.S. debt.
“We appreciate and welcome your concluding that the United States is such a safe haven because we appreciate your investment in U.S. treasuries,” Biden told…
