A book recording former Chinese President Jiang Zemin's overseas
visits between 1990 and 2002 was released at Beijing's Diaoyutai
State Guesthouse Sunday.
Over 400 Chinese diplomats, officials and scholars, including
State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and former Vice-Premier Qian
Qichen, attended the book's launch ceremony.
The 654-page book, entitled For a Better World: Jiang
Zemin's Overseas Visits, covers most of Jiang's diplomatic
activities for the 13 years he served as General Secretary of the
Communist Party of China Central Committee and China's
President.
It starts with Jiang's three-day visit to the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea in 1990 and ends with his visit to the
United States and his participation in the 10th annual Economic
Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in
Mexico in 2002.
The 11-chapter book with 167 pictures tells stories of Jiang's
personal contact with world leaders and many historical events such
as his attendance at the Hong Kong and Macao handover
ceremonies.
It also gives a detailed account of how China and the United
States managed to warm the frosty ties after 1989, Jiang's meeting
with the last President of the former Soviet Union Mikhail
Gorbachev and his visits to Israel and Palestine.
China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing says in a foreword he has written
for the book that Jiang arrived as China's diplomatic work was in
great difficulties in 1989 and under "sanctions" from certain
western countries.
Standing at a strategic level Jiang had exercised great
political wisdom and made tireless efforts to create a new
environment for China's diplomatic work, Li said.
Analysts observe that the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the
third generation of leadership of the CPC Central Committee with
Jiang Zemi at the center has abided by the independent foreign
policy of peace and made remarkable contributions on safeguarding
national interests and promoting world peace and development.
It also demonstrated Jiang's diplomatic wisdom as party and state
leader, analysts said.
From 1989 to 2002, Jiang visited over 70 countries and traveled
nearly 600,000 kilometers, according to the book.
State Councilor Tang, also a former Foreign Minister, said
publication of the book had "significant meaning" for Chinese
diplomats. It allowed them to inherit and develop the socialist
diplomatic theories of Chinese characteristics and would help them
better understand China's diplomatic policies so as to push the
country's diplomatic work into new phase.
The book is published by the World Affairs Press of China.
Born in 1926, Jiang became General Secretary of the CPC Central
Committee in 1989. He stopped serving as General Secretary of the
CPC Central Committee in 2002 and President of China in 2003.
(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2006)