We like to call you Auntie in Beijing...

THE Prime Minister said she was “honoured” to discover she has been nicknamed “Auntie May” in China yesterday.

Mrs May was told about the affectionate tag by a television reporter on day two of her three-day trade mission to the Far East.

Chinese media has paid close attention to the trip. The China Daily News ran a front-page picture of Mrs May inspecting a military guard of honour.

In an interview on state broadcaster CCTV in Beijing, the reporter asked: “Did you realise that you’ve got a Chinese nickname?”

Affectionate

Mrs May said: “No, I didn’t!” and was told: “A lot of Chinese people would affectionately call you in Chinese Auntie May. That’s really a kind of a call for Chinese – you’re one of the members of the family. Do you like that?”

Mrs May replied: “Oh, thank you. Thank you very much indeed. I’m honoured by that.”

She and husband Philip later continued the charm offensive by telling President Xi Jinping how much they liked Chinese tea.

Served Lapsang Souchong at a traditional tea ceremony with Mr Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, Mr May told Madame Peng: “We drink that.”

Meanwhile International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, in China with Mrs May, called for an end to Tory carping over her leadership.

He said: “They [China] are looking at performance...and they look at the Prime Minister in a different way than some of, let’s say, the internal tea room discussions in the UK do.”