UK's top envoy makes 'Japanese wife' gaffe in China

Shocking. I hope this doesn't plunge the region into all-out war

How on earth do we get to vote these people into government..? His wife is Chinese with half-Chinese children and he describes her as Japanese. No words for this and he represents Britain's foreign policy...

What a plant pot. Great to see an upgrade on Johnson.

Too funny LOL!!

He forgot his own wife's ancestry? She won't be happy when he gets home

Jezus, what non-news.

He succeeds the gaffe-prone Boris Johnson -- who once referred to Africans as "flag-waving piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles" in a newspaper column -- after Johnson dramatically resigned over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint earlier this month.

This is completely different. Johnson was being racist in a newspaper column. Hunt just misspoke.

He wishes his wife was Japanese, as most would

To qoute Labour MP Helen Goodman about Hunt's Chinese wife: Helen Goodman had tweeted: "If china is so great, why did Jeremy Hunt's wife come to England?"

I guess I was right that china-nese would rather be anywhere or anyone but in their own country. Hence, Hunt's gaffe about his wife being Japanese is perfectly understandable.

That's weird. Some long lost love might have been on his mind.

What a berk! Apparently he used to live in Japan and tells the media he is "fluent" in Japanese. Does anyone know which English school he worked at?

To get him back, maybe his missus should grab his salary and put him on 15,000 yen a month pocket money.

Maybe the guy just had jet lag.

He mispoke. A real non-story...and what is with the commenter's "china-nese"? Is this just troll talk. It's too hot and humid for such stupidity.

This stupid Hunt gets paid a taxpayers salary to get off longhaul flights and represent Britain's foreign policy. And he won't be flying economy. No excuses. He looks like a Hunt as well.

His mother-in-law must be so pleased.

What a bizarre mistake to make. Reminds me of David Cameron saying he supported West Ham when in fact he claimed to support Aston Villa, both being football teams that play in claret and blue. But presumably Hunty has more of a genuine affiliation with his wife than Dave had with Villa, or football.

Nice srip of the tongue - Freudian maybe?

Guess it could easily lead to all out war in the region.  Calls for Hunt's resignation?

To get him back, maybe his missus should grab his salary and put him on 15,000 yen a month pocket money.

Lovely idea but he’s probably fiddling his expenses behind her back.

Freudian slip

Nice srip of the tongue - Freudian maybe? Guess it could easily lead to all out war in the region. Calls for Hunt's resignation?

Haha exactly! Ppl read way too much into things.

"My wife is Japanese -- my wife is Chinese. That’s a terrible mistake to make," he told his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

No it isnt. It's silly, embarrassing (for Hunt & the missus) but not 'terrible' ffs.

Chinese. Japanese. It's an -ese(y) mistake to make for some but shouldn't be for him. Go easy on the guy though.

Dunno which is worse, mistaking a Frenchman for an Englishman or an Englishman for a Scot, but both are to be avoided - as was this. What was he thinking?!

There is no such as curry favour with China- the more you get in the more they own you. Any favour is visceral. Just rename England as New China.

He mispoke. A real non-story...and what is with the commenter's "china-nese"? Is this just troll talk. It's too hot and humid for such stupidity.

Let me guess, your spouse or partner is neither Japanese or Chinese right?

But hell he's just saying what all sorts of people in Japan do every day when they see a Caucasian, "You are an American right?"

It's Jeremy Hunt. No one who is aware of his existence is in any way surprised by this.

No surprise here. It's not the first time Jeremy ( the Berkshire) Hunt has slipped with his tongue. This gaffe-prone berk is a rising star (with ambitions to shine in No 10) of the Brexit brigade which is taking the country over the top with their cunning plan to face down the withering fire of the German and French opposition to the Tory loonytunes with their "pigs-will-fly" proposals for pulling out of the EU. Perhaps Brexit has been too much on his brain and his concentration is shot, or perhaps the Japanese "wife" is a real person, unless it is a reference to some other Japanesy business that he has been feeling a yen for of late.

I’d say Lucia Guo Hunt did very. Studies abroad and catches a multi- millionaire, the top UK envoy with future PM aspirations.

I’ve heard the cream of the crop of China aim for top US universities (east coast) and then the UK as a second tier. Is that still true?

Maybe he's been watching too much "Who is America."

"Mr. Foreign Minister Wang, my wife would like to send her regards. She said 'Konichiwa.' "

Must have been using the old Apple Maps to work out where she originated!

Some people makes big mistakes while under pressure. I’m not sure about this guy, but I’ve slipped up a few times when it came to very serious conversations because of the pressure. Maybe he needs a less stressful job...

An unfortunate mistake, but his actions should be allowed to speak for themselves. He did not mean any harm. People mis-speak all of the time. And, even if his wife were something other than from China, that is not the most important facet of his character. In other words, this is a case of trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Some people makes big mistakes while under pressure.

I agree. I was wondering if he had been given some advice before his first big meeting, and all that was going through his head was, "don't mention the Japanese, don't mention the Japanese, ..."

Much ado about nothing. We all make mental mistakes.

I was driving across Westminster Bridge years ago on a visit to the U.K. and the police were stopping people at random, looking for drunk drivers. The policewoman asked to see my driving license. "Here you are," I said and handed her my Japanese international driving licence.

"Oh!" she said. "You're from Japan! I have a cousin in Hong Kong!"

"My Japanese waifu"

1glenn:

An unfortunate mistake, but his actions should be allowed to speak for themselves. He did not mean any harm. People mis-speak all of the time. And, even if his wife were something other than from China, that is not the most important facet of his character. In other words, this is a case of trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Exactly. He corrected himself immediately and everybody had a right laugh. End of story.

China and Japan have been traditional rivals for centuries.

This really isn't true. For most of the past two millenia Japan and China rarely competed for the same things and have only had a handful of squirmishes.

You had the Mongol invasion attempts about 800 years ago and a few other disagreements here and there but nothing major. Cultural exchanges w. China prior to the Mongol invasions. Add to that, the 250 years of isolationism during the Edo Period.

It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that Japan turned its sites toward conquering parts of China.

When he meets Abe, he should give it "You know, my wife is Korean..."

Maybe he was thinking of his Japanese girlfriend

It used to be said that the ideal domestic situation was to have a Western Style house, a Japanese wife and eat Chinese food---perhaps he got things mixed up.

More AFP crap ...

this is what passes for news.

Maybe he's a bigamist. A second wife in Japan. Oops!

Oh for crying out loud. Does anyone really think he forgot his wife's nationality? The PC outrage culture we live in is raging full force. A slip of the tongue is all that was. Give us all a break.

The PC outrage culture we live in is raging full force.

I've heard that about China - they can gang up on people for not following the political line.

But this site is Japan today, not China today. Most of us here don't live in China, or their PC outrage culture.

If I had a dollar for every time I have mis-spoken.....

This is news? Who cares?