Beijing Chinese netizens have posted thousands of questions for US President Barack Obama in the lead-up to a question-and-answer session with students and internet users that will be broadcast live locally Monday afternoon from Shanghai. There were concerns that the event might be cancelled, with the Chinese side worried about Obama providing unscripted and uncensored responses to a young audience.
However, on Sunday night, the US embassy and China's official news agency, Xinhua, confirmed that the meeting will go ahead.
There will be 500 students in the audience, US embassy spokesperson Susan Stevenson said by phone.
According to Stevenson, most of the questions will come from the students in attendance, but Obama will also respond to questions from the Chinese online community.
Since news of the meeting first emerged, thousands of questions have poured in via websites including Xinhuanet and a special US embassy portal. Both will broadcast the event in real time.
Some questions have focussed on sensitive issues, including the US embargo on high-tech product exports to China, and ongoing US support for Taiwan.
"America always advocates itself as a model of free trade. So, are the protectionist measures that your country conducted a betrayal of what you have said?" one netizen on news.cn wrote.
Others have asked how Americans view rapidly changing China.
"What is the American people's attitude towards China's rapid rising? Do you think it is more about opportunities or challenges? What will America's strategy be after China becomes a global superpower?" another post read.
Meanwhile, Chinese netizens who managed to log onto blocked website, Twitter, joked that Obama won't be able to update his own personal Twitter feed from within China, unless President Hu Jintao "gives him a ladder" to get over the country's internet firewall and censors.
The session will be broadcast live to a local audience by Shanghai Television, Stevenson said, but not by the national broadcaster, CCTV.
On Sunday evening, the official Xinhua news agency reported that "the whole event will be broadcast live online" via Xinhuanet.com.
