Jiang Zemin (江澤民) has not yet met George W. Bush, but in their single telephone conversation last month, Jiang now says, "from his voice I could feel that he was a president I could do business with."
Jiang, who is the president, Communist Party secretary-general and military chairman of China, was optimistic about the future of Chinese-American relations this week in a rare interview at the leadership's seaside retreat, 270km east of Beijing.
"Both sides share a positive desire for a good relationship," he said, dismissing as routine background noise the voices in the Bush administration calling for mobilizing against a "China threat."
"We should try our best to find the common ground between us," he said, almost rising from his chair as he spoke.
Jiang met Wednesday with the publisher of The New York Times, Arthur Sulzberger Jr, senior editors, a columnist and China-based correspondents of the newspaper for an interview that was initially suggested by Chinese diplomats. Jiang's chief goal appeared to be to emphasize China's desire for smoother relations as the new American presidency takes shape and as China looks toward playing host to the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and braces for major transitions in political leadership and the economy.
The 85-minute interview took place in a formal meeting hall lined with red armchairs in a large gardened compound for senior leaders in this fading resort town. Jiang, 75, appeared cheerful and confident as he defended China's domestic and foreign policies, sometimes waving his arms and citing proverbs.
While his message was one of friendship, he gave no ground on areas of difference with the US, including Taiwan, Tibet and human rights. He suggested that foreigners did not understand China's goals and why it must adapt Communist rule to a changing society rather than scrap it altogether, as many in the West might prefer.
"I lived for three-fourths of the last century," he said when asked about the prospect of a major political loosening, "and I can tell you with certainty: Should China apply the parliamentary democracy of the Western world, the only result will be that 1.2 billion Chinese people will not have enough food to eat. The result will be great chaos, and should that happen, it will not be conducive to world peace and stability."
Bursting into English, he added, "And so I tell you very friendly and frankly, this is my opinion."
The well-guarded compound where the meeting took place is sprinkled with large two-story, pale-yellow manors. Every summer since the 1950s, leaders from Mao Zedong (毛澤東) onward have gathered in Beidaihe with other party mandarins to hash out major issues, and to swim in the Bohai Sea.
"People think we are here for a vacation," Jiang said. "But actually it's impossible to take a break, even for a single day.
"But there is one thing that I have to do every day," he added proudly, alluding to a habit he shares with predecessors like Mao and Deng Xiaoping (
The topics and schedules at Beidaihe are secret, but this year a major subject is said to be the coming changes in party leadership. Over the next two years, a large share of the central committee as well as Jiang and the other top two leaders, Prime Minister Zhu Rongji (
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