Erdogan is talking with Indonesia, and Takahashi Hayato's expression lit up: it's awkward and laughing in the middle!
On November 22, in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the G20 meeting, Takahashi Hayato was arranged to stand between Erdogan and Indonesian Vice President Jokowi. From high-definition footage that surfaced at the scene, Erdogan and Jokowi were both facing sideways and had frequent eye contact and gestures throughout the conversation, almost completely ignoring Takahashi who was in the middle.
Takahashi himself tightly held his hands in front of his abdomen, slightly leaned forward, smiled with a slight upward mouth but with wandering eyes—this "smile" lasted for at least 30 seconds, which was really embarrassing.
Even more embarrassing was that Takahashi was supposed to participate in the group welcome ceremony before the summit opening, but she missed it due to being nearly an hour late. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said that there was a delay in the schedule coordination, but Takahashi herself admitted on the evening of the 21st that she spent several hours trying on clothes to choose one that would not be laughed at, even considering buying a new outfit on the spot, reasoning that "clothing affects the status of diplomatic negotiations."
According to a survey by Asahi Shimbun on the 23rd, 72% of respondents believed that Takahashi's performance at the G20 this time "damaged Japan's image," and 61% thought she "lacked basic diplomatic etiquette."
Takahashi Hayato has been in office for just over a month, and this is already her second controversy in a major international event: during the APEC Summit in late October, she once moved her seat closer to Indonesian President Prabowo and put her hand on Chilean President Boric's shoulder, and related images also sparked heated discussions in the diplomatic circle.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849643472135242/
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