President Xi Jingping's Visit The Talk Of Seattle's Chinatown

The Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Seattle Tuesday. It’s the first stop on his U.S. itinerary. KUOW’s Liz Jones visited Seattle’s Chinatown neighborhood to see what they think of this high-profile visitor.

There’s a special name some Chinese people use for their president, like a term of endearment.

Zhi Pang: “Yeah, Xi Ta Ta. It means like father, because he’s a good person. He does many good things for us.”

Pang, 20, is hanging around outside a noodle shop, along with a couple friends. They’re all from China – here for a few years of college.

Pang said Xi is a good man.

Pang: “He did some amazing things;” like Xi's visit last year to Argentina, he said. “That helped build friendship.”

Another college student, Harvey Chen, lived in China until age six. But it’s a place that feels very distant to him now.

Reporter: “What do you know about the president of China?”

Chen: “I don’t know. I don’t know anything…(laughing). I should know his name….”

Still, he thinks it’s a good thing the leaders of China and the U.S. are coming together and that Seattle is a key player.

A few generations older, Shiou Chen definitely knows the Chinese president’s name. Shiou Chen moved to Seattle from China just three years ago to be with his adult children here.

He’d love to help welcome Xi to Seattle.

Shiou Chen: “Well I hope I can join an event but I don’t think I will have the opportunity.”

He hopes more exchanges like this can happen between the U.S. and China and other countries.

Shiou Chen: “The more you understand each other, the less conflict between two. For any group.”

He said more conversation means less conflict down the road. So it’s reassuring for him to see this presidential visit take shape.