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SCMP Reporter

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak  bear-hugged and cradled children in China's earthquake zone yesterday, impressing those at the devastated front as 'friendly' and 'people-loving'.
On a trip described by the Korean media as 'charm-offensive diplomacy', Mr Lee was the first foreign head of state to visit the disaster zone since  the magnitude-8 quake.
Mr Lee originally planned to end his four-day visit to China after visiting Korean companies in the port  of Qingdao  yesterday.
But once he arrived in Beijing, he asked to add one more stop - Sichuan  - to deliver his condolences and to demonstrate his belief that 'only those who share hardship are friends'.
He repeatedly said he hoped his visit  could help make the two countries closer neighbours.
But Mr Lee's first state visit to China since he took over South Korea's presidency three months ago - his third foreign trip after he visited the US and Japan last month - was marked by controversy.
Some Chinese analysts were worried about Mr Lee's trumpeting of a reinforced alliance with the US and Japan, and Chinese  chat room users were angered by reports that Korean netizens had jeered at  the mainland's suffering.
Nonetheless, in Chengdu  and Dujiangyan  - a region an hour from Chengdu that was devastated - Mr Lee was warmly welcomed by   earthquake victims.
At the airport in Chengdu, he inspected three Korean military  planes that arrived on Thursday carrying about US$360,000 worth of relief goods - the first time such planes had flown  over China.
He then visited a community centre in Dujiangyan that collapsed during the quake and   dormitories  that provided food and shelter for about 1,000 refugees.
The city's party secretary, Liu Julin ,  led Mr Lee around the compound and he  received a rock-star welcome at a makeshift classroom that is being used by about 120 children.
Ten   children swarmed around the president, waving their hands  and shouting their greetings.
Mr Lee wrapped his arms around many of the children, trying to communicate with them, although a translator would not have helped due to the excited screams.
When he  lifted one of the children,  he was  forced to pick up two others before his  entourage pulled the slightly tired-looking president away. Seven-year-old Lin Xinyu ,  who has been  living in a supermarket with her parents since the quake, offered the president her red handkerchief, which an overwhelmed Mr Lee tied around his neck.
'I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he looked friendly,' Xinyu said. 'My teacher told me to give him the red handkerchief.'
Xinyu did not know Mr Lee was the South Korean president, but she knew he was a visiting Korean, which made her happy.
None of the children or the teacher were expecting  the South Korean president's visit.
Teacher Dai Furong  said the children were a lot livelier yesterday than on previous days. They were slowly recovering, she  added.
Seoul has already provided about US$3 million in cash and relief goods and was one of the first countries to send relief workers.
Mr Lee returned to South Korean last night.



South Korean president gets warm welcome from survivors, giving visit touching end