Premier Wen Jiabao's three-day trip to Britain may have been overshadowed by the incident in which a man hurled a shoe at him, but the visit has expanded his fan base beyond China's borders.
Arriving at Cambridge University to deliver a speech on Monday, Mr Wen was greeted by Chinese students holding four placards saying 'I love Bao Bao' or 'I love Babe', apparently affectionate references to the premier, whose name contains the Chinese character 'bao', which means 'treasure' or 'babe'.
The nation's stride towards international and economic prominence in the past 30 years has led to increased national pride, first epitomised by sports stars and then the new breed of leaders, who are often portrayed in state media as being caring and resolute.
While 'Bao Bao' is a cute way for an adult to address an adorable child or for people in an intimate relationship to address each other, some have questioned whether it is appropriate to address a state leader in such a way.
President Hu Jintao's online fans refer to him as 'Brother Hu' or 'Tao Tao'. The latter term has no apparent meaning.
Mainland internet users were divided yesterday over the use of such nicknames.
In an online survey at China Central Television's Fuxing bulletin board service, 62 per cent of the 1,209 people who responded by last night disapproved of the nicknames, with some saying they did not show due respect for the leaders, and it was particularly inappropriate to use them in another country.