Washington » President Barack Obama called U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. back to the podium after Huntsman's introduction and whispered into his ear.
"Jon," the president said, apparently seeking the former Utah governor's advice on how to greet the town hall audience in Mandarin Chinese. "Is it ning hao?"
"Ning hao is perfect," Huntsman responds in an exchange picked up by the microphones.
Huntsman, who is steeped in Asian affairs and speaks fluent Mandarin, is serving as a crucial role as Obama's guide during the president's first trip to China.
Huntsman, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, welcomed the president to Shanghai on Sunday night during a deluge of rain, and Huntsman introduced the president at a town hall discussion at the city's Museum of Science and Technology.
Switching between Mandarin Chinese and English, and translating his own remarks, Huntsman said both Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are devoted to promoting a "positive, constructive and comprehensive" relationship.
"Today, virtually no global challenge can be solved without the United States and China cooperating," Huntsman said. "The challenge before us is to find ways to move our engagement to a higher strategic plane, so who better to join us than the person who can speak at the very highest level of government on these subjects?"
Obama then used Huntsman's advice on greeting the crowd and praised Huntsman as an outstanding ambassador "who exemplifies the deep ties and respect between our nations."
"I don't know what he said [in Mandarin], but I hope it was good," Obama then quipped to laughter from those in the crowd, many of whom wore earphones to hear his translation.
Huntsman, a Republican, resigned as Utah's governor in August to take on the role in the Democratic administration that Obama said was one of the top diplomatic positions the country has.
The ambassador will accompany the president on planned tours of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, the White House confirmed.
