Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau capped a hectic day in Ho Chi Minh City by jogging along the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal on Thursday evening, catching locals off-guard and setting the media abuzz.
The charismatic prime minister was on an official visit to Vietnam’s biggest city before going for a jog along the canal, which is considered an example of smart urban development.
According to media reports, he started jogging at around 7 p.m. With his cap on, Trudeau, flanked by several of his guards, ran past many locals who were exercising outdoors.
“He looks so handsome and gentle,” an elderly woman who was working out along the canal said.The surprise appearance of the Canadian prime minister attracted widespread attention.
“When I realized he was the Canadian prime minister, I was in awe of such a young, handsome and down-to-earth leader,” Nguyen Thi Thanh, 61, said.
Last May, another photo of Trudeau jogging past a group students taking prom photos in Vacouver, Canada, also went viral, creating a made-for-meme internet sensation.
But after it was pointed out that the shot was snapped by his official photographer, his critics blasted the media for continuing to fall for what “seems to be a constant stream of PR stunts”, The Guardian reported in May.
The report cited Robyn Urback, a columnist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as saying that in politics, even the most spontaneous run-ins are carefully set up. “And public photobombs by politicians in their Sunday sweats usually involve some sort of prior coordination,” she said.
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