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Jiang looks to U.S. for unlikely final legacy
From Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing
BEIJING, China -- An impressive line of China's leaders attended a send-off for President Jiang Zemin, U.S.-bound for a summit with President George W. Bush. In what could be Jiang's crowning moment as architect of China's foreign policy, Jiang is meeting Bush in Texas. He is expected to retire as Communist Party chief in two weeks. The elaborate preparations Jiang's aides have undertaken for the 76-year-old cadre's farewell U.S. tour are unprecedented in recent Chinese history and highlight the emphasis being placed on the trip. According to one Hong Kong academic, the journey could provide Jiang with a final photo opportunity that arguably encapsulates his most lasting legacy. "Jiang is a man who, I think, likes prestige and likes to be seen as a great leader," David Zweig, professor, Hong Kong University, told CNN. "And, as he is about to leave the political stage, I think he wants one more visit, one more significant trip where he will be seen on the front page of the 'People's Daily' -- him with President Bush." Usually media-shy Foreign Ministry officials, including Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong and Head of North American Affairs He Yafei, have briefed Beijing-based correspondents about the visit's significance. (Analysis) In his thirteen years at the helm, Jiang has weathered ups and downs in U.S.-China relations. Three years ago, Chinese took to the streets to protest U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. A year later, bilateral ties took another nose-dive, when a U.S. spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter plane over Hainan Island. During his tenure, Bush has also offered China's political rival Taiwan the biggest arms package in a decade, vowing to defend the island Beijing views as a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. But the September 11 attacks gave Washington and Beijing another incentive to bridge their differences. U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt was effusive in his praise of the Chinese leader. "Our two great nations' mutual efforts to combat terrorism augurs well for our future relations. Nine eleven (September 11, 2001) demonstrated to Americans that we have real enemies, and China is not among them," said Randt. TaiwanWhen Jiang meets Bush for a third time in one year, he is expected to press Washington to avoid official contacts with Taiwan. Bush in turn will urge Beijing to stop selling sensitive missile technology to countries like Iran and Pakistan and to tacitly support U.S. positions on Iraq and North Korea. The question of Bush's effort to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction also would be raised as Washington is seeking international backing for an attack on Baghdad if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein does not comply. The White House hopes a new resolution being circulated in draft form at the United Nations may be more acceptable to veto-carrying Security Council members, including China. No major breakthroughs are expected but Chinese analysts say summits are still important. "Whenever we have a summit, the relationship goes up. And so I don't mean the summit will change the nature of the China-U.S. relationship, making the two countries become allies. But at least the summit can prevent the relationship from going down to the hill," said Yan Xuetong, Professor, Tsinghua University. President Jiang may be stepping down soon, but few people here think he will totally fade away. With or without his number one titles, Jiang is expected to exert influence on major foreign policy issues like Sino-US relations."
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