The secrecy is because Sarah's handlers are afraid she will mess the speech up and come off sounding uninformed about international issues (like she did during the campaign). I'm sure she can successfully give a prepared speech, but would she be able to answer questions she isn't prepared for? Does she really have a deep understanding of the complex issues faced by international businesspeople? I would probably say no. Actually, I wonder if she could find Hong Kong on a map without help. Well, at least she knows where Russia and "Real America" are.

The Secrecy? Does anyone have to think at all!! Sarah Palin and Global Fund managers!!! Imagine letting the media in on it. Tina Fey move aside..It's going to be a BOMB!! YouBetchya...Wiiink.

After the disastrous republican campaign wherein Ms. Palin had dug her own grave with her complete inability to handle impromptu media concerns, that led to a global mockery of her candidature, I guess she wants to limit further damages to just 1000 odd people.

Still in a quandry as to why? we keep sending some of dumbest (proved in 2008) to some of the smartest to tell what we American are like. No nwonder we keep losing our footage in the financial world. How much time does she have to put a spin on these intellectual and experts in the financial world? Does she know that Hong Kong is in communist China? Meaning, she is paling around with communist?? What about Trig? Saw him all over the news back in 2008–hanging on to her side. Is he going to be there with her?

CNN – You are part of today's main stream media (MSM).
Today's MSM is unprofessional, superficial, and intellectually dishonest. It distorts the truth and often peddles private opinions as facts.
It is lazy, does not do it's homework, and trumpets cliche's based on their own agenda. MSM should not have an agenda. It should report the truth.

I respect Palin for her decision to avoid MSM.

Zenek Wrobel
Legnica, Poland.

I am still doubt what Sarah Palin would be secretly doing in Hong Kong?
what did she present herself to be,a settler,or a Bridge builder?

CLSA must be really desperate. Couldn't they have found anyone better suited??? Besides the money, what else will she be getting......designer clothes, free travel for family.......

Palin is on her way boosting her international knowledge credentials......ready for another long, bumpy, twisted campaigns in 2012!.......sarcastic

You are all a bunch of dolts.

CLSA must be really short on creativity. Palin's speech, no matter how positive, carries no economic weight. On the other hand, if it comes out negative, it could cause a political fallout. If this is a investor forum, the appropriate speaker should have been someone with economic clout. I don't have anything against Palin, as I am not American. I just thought she is not an appropriate speaker for this event.

All he comments like these and the left leaning media are reasons for the secretcy.

She is NOT the "best of the best" from America. We have some real brainy ladies in this country. Why did you guys select the "juice from the turnip" to hear. Next time, if you want and an American female to speak to your group–pick someone with the ability to deliver up to your expectations. Maybe, you set your "bar" a lot lower than it should be. Well, I am not an investor in your companies–I hope!! But, I am going to be watching to see, if I am. Our financial managers needs to be better tuned to the real crises in this day and age. Not trying to go back over 20 years to address our challenges of today. We are faster, better, smarter, and more determined to "stay the course" and ride the winds to new heights.

I am puzzled by the sneaky fashion of her first personal encounter on this side of the globe and any possible reason(s) behind. But, I am sure this is not going to be helpful for her personal image, particularly when there have been reports that she would run for the Presidency of the United States. God bless her and her political career down the road!!!

Maybe it's just none of your business??????
Simple as that? Coz let's face it, journalists and the media in general rarely tell the whole truth anyway.

LOL, if she wanted to be perfectly candid and able to share freely why did she only take prearranged questions. That's a sign of how unintelligent she is. Why can't she speak off the cuff. It's because she is a fraud.

My, my, nothing like kid glove treatment. She's such a train wreck.

Get a job on Fox news Sarah and quit being a puppet.

Because, when stripped oh her fancy duds and shiny shoes, St. Sarah of Wasilla is basically a high-school beauty queen and little more.

As others have said, she's afraid of the media-and justifiably so.

(I wonder if Palin could see Russia from Hong Kong? LOL!)

Of course the trip would be publicized (I'm reading about it) and by refusing media coverage, she gets publicity without having to answer for the content of her speech. It's scary to think that the smart minds behind global capital choose her to speak at the 16th CLSA Investors’ Forum. But in this era of radically oppposed conciousness – big money and short term gains vs. ecoconcerns and long term global solutions – she is a lover of wealth and power. We could use more investors that can see that the two extremes aren't always mutually exclusive.

Palin is a poor public speaker and interviewee. Her gimcrack folksiness is unctuously repulsive. Her habit of reading from a prompt card in her lap in one to one interviews is pathetic.
I wonder nevertheless whether we overvalue showmanship,oratorical skill and polish as measures of ability.
She has several markers of acceptability to Americans – fertility, fecundity, business ability and wealth, ambition and simplicity.
Whether she manages to carve out a niche in public life for herself remains to be seen.
Jessica Fletcher meets Jessica Simpson.

I think Sarah is aware of her power. She is a political rock star, and she knows it. With that comes some power, like deciding to let the enemy (the MSM) into the speech or not. She chose not to. She does not have to cater to what THEY want her to do, and she knows it. We have never seen anyone like her. I absolutely love what she is doing. They (the MSM) all want to just rip into her, but they can't get to her (at least this time) and it's giving them fits. I'm sure the Liberal media will skewer her, but you have to remember that they will be relying on 2nd hand accounts of what she said.

This story seems to provide a pretty good metaphor for the causes of the financial crisis itself.

Whatever else Palin may be, she is not an authority on anything that could matter to global fund managers. Of course she can teleprompt a speech that was written for her, as she demonstrated very effectively when McCain introduced her to the world that night a year ago.

But, the questions are: is she deeply interested in the issues? Can she understand them at more than a superficial level and bring some insight to them? Is she able to discuss the concepts underpinning the issues and their inter-relatedness to the other things that affect complex global markets?

No amount of homework or reading of well-scripted speeches can make up for a fundamental lack of interest, understanding, insight or substance.

Yet, here we have a politician in her mid-forties who, a year ago, appeared not to have read national or international newspapers; who was unable to discuss the most basic philosophical underpinnings of her own political ideology; who had no idea what important supreme court decisions had been made over the past few decades, etc. giving a speech to an elite group of people with big, highly-specialized resumes.

This makes me think of nothing more than the sub-prime mortgage mess with its CDOs and other financial 'instruments', which were all smoke and mirrors, with no substance behind them... and if you think Palin has the goods to deliver an address on complex global matters to supposedly knowledgeable people, I have a bunch of slightly used CDO's you just might be interested in.

Sarah has done mistakes and she can fix those mistakes now, let her have another chance. Do not make her dis-moral, it will not be benefited by anyone. If one tells you bad thinking listen it, in order to have good thinking from him/her next time. We have to encourage her and everyone who is not on the track. God forgives those who forgive themselves.

In the spirit of Reaganism, I wonder if Sarah advised the General Secretary of China (Hu Jintao) to "tear down that wall." Only she would be dumb enough to say that!

They chose Palin to speak? Pee Wee Herman wasn't available?

I certainly agree with Zenek above. The liberals are terrified of Ms. Palin, which is why they and the liberal media are paranoid in their harassment and persecution of her. Obama has made gaffs when he has strayed off script that make anything Ms. Palin has done look very inconsequential. The general media is no longer the mainstream media. I hesitate to even call it the "media" any more since that term has always implied some degree of integrity, thoroughness and objectivity. I guess the meaning of words really can change over time.

Most professional, highly-compensated Call Girls like to do their work in private.

It is my understanding that the theme of her speech was something along the lines of "the view from Main Street USA". As a small businessperson in rural America, Ms Palin does NOT speak for me.

I find it rather ironic and hypocritical that her speech was "shrouded in secrecy" (your headline), yet she screamed the loudest about transparency during the election and since. Sarah, you can't have it both ways.

This is dual strategy adopted by Ms. Palin and her handlers. If the speech went badly ( and inept) they do not have to share with the political pundits and opponents here in the USA . Now that we hear from the media outlets her speech was not that bad, her handlers can selectively use the same to gain some political advantage especially during the campaign season, which is not very far. Sarah and her handlers want to have it both ways.

I'm glad it was closed tomedia, I don't the US to face anymore international humiliation by displaying some of the most uneducated celebrities to the rest of the world (Bush is also quiet now huh?)

I'm wondering if the CLSA realizes Sarah Palin's 4th spot down for a possible Republican presidential nomination and her red-neck conservatism that ridiculed voters on the East and West Coasts. I think that it's astounding that CLSA invited her as the primary speaker–one wonders about the reasoning. According to the CNN on-the-street interviews, the majority of interviewed Chinese people did not know her.

The real story here is not the speech but what transpired during the Q & A period. I would pay to hear that.

Dear Zenek,

Sarah Palin put her foot in her mouth during the presidential campaign. The media recorded what she said and then analyzed that she was an unprepared candidate, who "could see Russia from her front porch" international policy.

Which educated and experienced journalists do you consider as "professional?"

LOL!!!! Sarah Palin and a "Financial" forum of investors??? Yes, she really has knowledge about that! The secrecy is so that she can get more attention, as she is getting and at the same time pretend humility.

If Palin's speech was billed 'Main Street, U.S.A.', God help us all.
She has surrounded herself with white's only and hasn't a clue what is going on in the lower states. She is typical of what the Republican party is turning into; loud voice, no substance.

Actually CLSA recruited her to come speak as a joke: http://www.businessinsider.com/sara-palin-just-another-clsa-practical-joke-2009-9

One would have thought that, given the opportunity, Ms. Palin would have done more than simply arrive in Hong Kong to give her presentation and leave immediately after the presentation. Perhaps arrive early enough to sightsee, meet with members of the American business community outside the speech venue, or stay afterwards for a short time to see the area, and perhaps enter China (Guangzhou, etc.). Not that she needed to visit Macua necessarily, but something more than arrive, deplane, speak, embark, depart. And she wouldn't have to have said it was to expand her understanding; that could simply be assumed in an intelligent and professional manner.

Re:I wondered, “Why the secrecy?” What do you think?
* * * * *

Why would I care?

Too bad, I had hoped to see her speech. Things were getting slow, I would have had a good laugh at Palin making a fool of herself again. "I can see Russia from my house (wink, wink)." never gets old. :)

Please why would Palin want to let the news media access, when that would mean letting in the CNN personnel? You have done nothing but bash her at every opportunity. You publish trashy tabloid news regarding her, and her family, then try and say these don't necessarily reflect your views. You even censor the comments that get posted to your boards. But yet you are the first ones arguing freedom of speech and right to free press when and only when it suits your needs.

"CNN – You are part of today’s main stream media (MSM).
Today’s MSM is unprofessional, superficial, and intellectually dishonest. It distorts the truth and often peddles private opinions as facts.
It is lazy, does not do it’s homework, and trumpets cliche’s based on their own agenda. MSM should not have an agenda. It should report the truth."

If one really feels this way, I would have to ask why are you reading the article? I do not believe Fox news reports non-bias information. I think everything they report is catered towards Republicans and bashes Democrats. Since I do not feel it is down the middle, I do not watch it. If you really dislike MSM as you call it, why do you participate in it?

Sarah Palin is a self-promoter and an egregious sham. She's banning the media because she can't stand the light of day.

Of course she wants to avoid the embarrassment that's inevitable when ignorance poses as expertise and opinions are presented as facts. She's not just ill-informed, she is deeply ignorant of history, geography and policy questions. It's not just that she presents opinions as facts; it's that she doesn't know the difference.

Anybody who advises her to "read more books" doesn't understand the depth of the problem. No amount of catch-up cramming can make up for a lousy education and an utter lack of interest in anything beyond her own raw ambition.

Those who encourage her should be ashamed of themselves.

I truly hope she falls off the face of the earth and the sooner the better. She's an embarassment to all decent Americans and the sooner she is relegated to the pages of obscure history, neer to be opened again, the better.

I smell a tina fay script brewing up...this on shoud be good :)

Besides the fact that the secrecy behind her speech could really be just because she made another incredibly fun speech. She is being looked at as the potential leader of the new arriving third party which is still techniquely an offshoot of the Republican party, i speak of the Tea Party. Imagine the Future leader of the Tea Party speaking with money market esperts, she could develope some nice relations with important people to help her in 2012..... but that does sound like a Dan Brown novel, but it is important to remember dan browns novel do sound plausible (in the fact that they are based on reality.).

I don't think Sarah decided to have a close forum however I think Sarah decided to speak at this meeting because normally it is closed to the public. It's as if she is trying to follow in Hillary Clintons footsteps but when she speaks the shoes sound like they are too tight for her feet.

Mrs. Palin does not speak for all main street America.
Hopefully she has taken her experience from the campaign trail, to further educae herself on matters. However...
China? They own enough of us as it is, if Palin is let loose to spew her, her..palinism around the world, goodness help us! It was comforting to hear that Chinese citizens appear to know little about her. Do America a favor Sarah, take an extended trip there! We have enough issues at home than to concern ourselves what might 'slip' out your mouth, just for you to try and apologize later. wink, wink,

She has been so unfairly treated by the media AND Tina Fey that she will have a hard time to be taken seriously, though I think she will be okay. I don't think she did that bad in the campaign.

Everyone likes a clown. She was the 'paliacco' of the conference. Who else to chosse to introduce humor to a financial networking conference than the Diva herself.

She was very well chosen for her role.

Sarah Palin is a joke, and always will be. I have no idea why CLSA or any group would pay to see here save the fact it is a comedy show.

I am sorry, I must seem a little too harsh, but REALLY. I'm sure the speech will come off well, but how many weeks has she been practicing this prepared speech? How much money will she acquire?

All in all, I'm glad this has been masked in secrecy because I would like to see Sarah Palin GO AWAY.

Well, I think that Ms. Palin might get a touch nervous, were the 'media' to
be present, "don'tchathink?" Like most of the "idiot" politicians, she may
well handle a really scripted speech, but will there be a Q&A session
afterward? I cannot imagine her doing well with that. What I would
really like to know is exactly which funds were represented there; and
which, of them, thought she was really good and very smart? That should help determine which funds a 'savy investor' might want to put funds into and which to stay out of. "Don'tchathink?"

Even she doesnt know why she is there.

hahaha her 1st international speech, she couldnt handle a speech in the US so why would she go international to make a complete fool of herself? She should go home and take care of that baby and quit messing around. He needs her more than anyone else does.

So, she spouts that she's all about the common working class citizen, but then goes overseas to speak to a bunch of bankers and investors?

Wake up, people! Sarah Palin is an awful, AWFUL, human being and does not deserve one iota of your support or attention.

I'm not completely sold that this truly is secrecy. So Sarah Palin is speaking to the 16th CLSA Investors’ Forum. Did the media cover the key note addresses of the first 15 CLSA forums? Were they banging down the door trying to inform the world what was going on at those sessions. If not, then that means that they are just interested in Sarah Palin. They were told no and now are pouting about it and making it a story. Let's try to be genuine with the intentions.

Come on leftycry babys. This is not a public speach. It is to a specific company and their clients and it is their right to maintain their privacy. If you want to look for transparency, try turning your focus onto the Obama Czar parade.

Whaaaa Whaaaa

There is always a secret, inside agenda to everything Sarah Palin does, and it will always be self-serving. She is infamously and comically noted for her inability to answer sensibly under pressure. Of course she would not want to have media scrutinization when she humiliates herself and the U.S. once again.

I thought we got rid of this incompetent moron last November. Who really cares to hear anything she has to say anyway. Maybe she'll find a job and stay in Hong Kong, we should be so lucky....

You people are doing the same thing to her you did during the campaign. You were afraid of her then, you are afraid of her now. You never properly vetted Obama, he still, to this day, has not answered a difficult question, and you are still trying to discredit a woman! Shame on you, you lazy reprobates! Obama still can't answer a question that is not planted and you still can't see the sunshine because of where your heads are.

The media is so blatantly biased against her, I'm not at all surprised.

"I wondered, “Why the secrecy?” "
-----------------
Hmm, I wonder if it was secrecy or that she no longer needs to suffer the fools in the media who have not ever listened to what she said with a shred of interest.

There's a lot of hatred and envy out there towards her, which she seems to have surmounted by plotting her own path. Good for her!

I'm just surprised that she could find the plane.

She has always been more influential to a smaller, narrower audience. The secrecy just helps her maintain this "base" of hers, because she gets ridiculed and becomes a source of comedy to the masses every time she is exposed. Also, she is beginning to deliver better speeches I hear, though I have to say I ever really listen to them anymore. She probably just wants to stick to a scripted situation as much as possible, thus no more revealing herself to reporters in candid conversations. Secrecy seem the only option for her to maintain her aura of having a valid opinion in any matter whatsoever. Her fans can still follow her as much as they like, just underground.

So who wrote this speech for her? Why is this woman still in the news? Why does anyone care what she does. Who is takeing care of her children if she is such a good mother? Go away!!!!!!!!!1

if Palin gives any speech that even slightly represents the US then the people of the US have every right to know the full content of her speech. The media should report it in full, unedited and with no comment or critique. We are perfectly capable of forming our own opinions and interpretations of the content.

Sarah Palin is ridiculously ignorant. Really, this is not surprise.

I'm glad it was kept a secret. She has embarassed herself and misspoke on too many occasions. I would hate for her to embarass us as a country–because she will do it if left to her own words. I wish she would get off the political stage, get educated and then comeback to public life. If she wants people to like her family so much, get a reality television show. They make a good income!

Maybe she's becoming a citizen of China?

I believe if she tried hard enough she would be able to see Hong Kong from Alaska, It is very close to Russia. She was able to see Russia from Alaska, and I don't see why she won't be able to see Hong Kong. Joking aside, Her trip to Hong Kong might teach her a lesson that she and her conservative party are not the only ones in this planet. There are a lot more people who would like to coexist . Travelling abroad might make her more open minded. She gains more from this trip than those poor investors.

Well, I guess she deserves credit for dusting off that 2 year old passport. Honestly, I really don't consider a governor of an irrelevant, sparsely populated state to be an expert on global economics or Asian affairs.

Nothing more than an attempt to bolster her foreign policy credibility.

To think that this woman could have been a heart-beat away from the presidency is truly disturbing. Honestly folks, she is utterly unqualified, and helped put Obama over the hump.

Sarah Palin has more class in her little finger than the whole crew at CNN. CNN just wants to quote their little cliches. I guess they can't handle facts.

No wonder the whole world is in such a financial mess.
What's next?

I think she is doing great. She spoke in private wihtout media and most probably did not blow her own horn like we saw President Obama do yesterday at the UN.

Palin is a walking joke. She isn't allowed to speak in front of the media because she says the dumbest possible things. It is unbelievable how stupid she is. She was nothing more than a tool used by Alaskan corporations because she is easy to manipulate. She honeslty believes she is a politician. Its sad and embarrassing, she is hurting the American image and we cannot afford that. Someone needs to stuff her mouth with a sock so she will shut up.

Personally – when it comes to Palin, its all about the money.

She quit and that is unacceptable. She cost her state a great deal of money in campaigning, clothes, personal expenses, and then having to replace her, after she quit. How can anyone be respected for quitting? Is this the new acceptable behavior? Get Real!

MSM is really bad these days. So Judging by these few comments the people who keep up with are not very smart either. As a staunch democrat beating up on a woman who I think is a very smart person is not the most brilliant thing to do. So keep it up MSM, CNN and you'll have her elected in no time. It's a nnew crazy world out here try joining it. Till then I'll keep getting my news from FOX, FAIR and Balanced. Cause you are definately not that. Keep taking cheap shots at MS. Palin. You say"why the secrecy" Tell me "what do you think" !!!!!!!!!!!

Being off the media actually gives credibility that she was not after publicity or political gain. Any publicity she is getting is coming from the media hungry to report "news" even when the events are not news worthy.

Palin will speak to investors.....that just leaves me breathless

Why don't we just leave Sarah Palin alone!

Oh! No! Palin talking to Investors.. Crap!!! Who are these investors who will attend. Hong Kong people are very smart at investments, so what can she tell them... And why the secrecy ??? Why no Media ????

As most people here have responded, I also wonder what Sarah Palin really has to do with the price of eggs when it comes to global investment funds...

In terms of people slinging off at CNN for running Sarah Palin down; I don't know where you're getting a negative spin from this article, it's simply stating that Palin will be in HK to give a keynote speech at a global investment forum, that will be closed off to the media,

I also wonder why the secrecy?

All of you Sarah haters who keep calling her an idiot....I doubt you would have the intelligence and courage to travel to Hong Kong and meet with 1,000 investors..When was the last time you governed a state?

That's Palin for you. Visions of grandeur and a self grandizing belief that her opions will make huge differences in markets is just smoke and mirrors. I'm just curious if the attendees actually paid attention to what she said or did they just show up to goggle at her and mumble "she's purdy!".

A private speech to a private audience. What part of that does the media not understand. What she said or did not say is none of your business.

Its a good job that John McCain was not elected as President because Sarah Palin was a bad choice on his part and goodness knows how he thinks he would be able to pick a suitable team to run the country. Be glad you have Obama and concentrate on the real issues that Americans must face, instead of all this nonesense over a nobody.

Being an idiot and being courageous are not mutually exclusive. That's where you really see the depth of her ruinous self aggrandizement. Very simply, her handlers don't want her to embarrass herself again.

The truth of Palin is so much better than fiction! I don't know that the most creative comedic writers (including SNL) would have been able to pull off the thousands of jokes written at her expense if they weren't true at their core – even if just a little bit.

The thought of Palin speaking to investors is positively stunning! And there's certainly no danger of markets being affected – this will be pure entertainment. And she doesn't even realize it. It's quite sad really.

Flash foward to 2012 and Ms Palin is running as presidential nominee. I wonder how she will handle the media then. To me the proof that she is still ignorant about whats happening in the world is her fear of the media . No matter how biased she claims they are a question has to be answered .