Chinese slam Argentine leader for ‘stupid’ remark on accent

Fernandez replaced r's with l's in the tweet after she met with Chinese business leaders in Beijing during a trip aimed at raising investment in the recession-hit South American economy. "Did they only come for lice and petloleum?" Fernandez wrote in Spanish Wednesday. Her cabinet chief, Jorge Capitanich, said Thursday the tweet was a sign of affection. "This president is such one of a kind that she dared to mock her host country; she has no idea how Chinese people care about looking good in front of guests," a person using the name "Explorer 06" wrote on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging service. "She should apologize for this." The furor threatened to overshadow Fernandez's trip as she met Premier Li Keqiang following her meeting with President Xi Jinping Wednesday. She called relations between the two countries a "high priority," while Li said he appreciates how much Fernandez values the ties. The tweet was a "sign of affection that recognizes the ties that have been built with China," Cabinet Chief Capitanich said in Buenos Aires, adding that the media was blowing things out of proportion. Read more on Bloomberg