Zhu Rongji Meets the Press

China'shistoricshift-fromanationemergingfromtheshadowsofdecadesofdiplomaticandeconomicisolationtoamajorplayerintheworldarena-wasbynomeanscertainwhenZhuRongjitookthehelmasPremierin1998.DengXiaoping'sreformpolicies，begunin1978，hadsetthenationonthepathtowardrapiddevelopmentandmodernization，andopenedthedoortointernationalinvestmentandtrade.Bythelate1990s，however，thisdirectionwaschallengedbyahostoftroubles：anoverheatedeconomythreateninginflation，redundantstate-ownedenterprises，creepingcorruption，andagapingdisparitybetweencoastalandinlandeconomies.Theharder，morefundamentalreformsneededtosolvetheseproblems，wereyettobetackled.Itwouldtakeaverycommittedandstrong-mindedreformertobringabouttheseoftenpoliticallydifficultchanges.TousherChinaintoanewageofinternationalresponsibility，itwouldtakealeaderwhocouldcommunicateespeciallyadroitlyandcomfortablyaroundtheworld.Thesetraits-andZhu'scriticalroleinmovingChinaforward-areamplyevidentinthiscollectionofthePremier'stalksandinterviewswithforeignjournalists.OriginallypublishedinChinesein2009，itwasthefirstbooktogivesuchawide-ranging，front-rowviewofZhuatworkinconductingandexplainingChina'sforeignandeconomicpoliciesduringhistimeasVicePremierofChina（1991to1998）andthenPremier（1998to2003），ItalsooffersreadersaglimpseofZhu'sforthrightcharacter，hisfeistinessandsenseofhumor.