Bill Clinton Negotiates Memoir With China

The Associated Press via AOL ^ | 1.6.2004 | DEVLIN BARRETT

[IncPen]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Clinton, worried that his wife's memoirs lost something in translation, is acting to ensure the same doesn't happen with his coming memoirs.

His book is expected to hit stores in mid-2004, and his publisher and lawyer are trying to prevent the international friction that resulted from alterations made last year to the Chinese-language version of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's book.

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf and book lawyer Robert Barnett are insisting on a written agreement that would give them the right to review and reject any translation of the former president's book produced by Chinese publishers.

That demand follows a battle over the Chinese version of ``Living History,'' Hillary Clinton's best seller published last summer.

The translation by Yilin Press, a government-backed company, drew harsh criticism from the senator when it became clear several passages about China had been excised or rewritten.

Simon & Schuster learned in September that Yilin Press removed references in ``Living History'' to the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests and changed Clinton's comments about Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu.

Barnett, a lawyer for both Clintons, said Tuesday the president's book will either be translated in China either in total or not at all.

No release date has been set for the memoirs beyond mid-2004.

Barnett said he did not know whether the book contains passages that might raise the ire of Chinese officials because he had not yet seen material relating to that country.

Contracts for international book rights often include language that requires faithful translations of text, but rarely does an American publisher go through the effort and cost of independently verifying the accuracy of a translated text.

Sen. Clinton's publishers were unable to reach such an agreement. Several months of international legal wrangling ended in late December when Simon & Schuster withdrew rights for the Chinese translation. The company had demanded Yilin recall copies of the book and issue reprints with the complete text.

[Spok]

Isn't a 'memoir' some sort of a nightie?

[Paul Atreides]

The boil on the butt of humanity flares up....again.

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[Paul Atreides]

You're thinking of a Renoir. ;-)

[Liz]

.......that's peignoir.........

[jocko12]

SOUNDS LIKE BJ WANTS THE CHINIES TO LIE ABOUT HIS LEGACY

[jocko12]

SOUNDS LIKE BJ WANTS THE CHINESE TO LIE ABOUT HIS LEGACY

[jocko12]

SOUNDS LIKE BJ WANTS THE CHINESE TO LIE ABOUT HIS LEGACY.

[Condor51]

Or more likely he's worried that the chi-coms WON'T lie and they will print the parts about him selling our missile technology to them for illegal campaign cash.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I expect nothing but the utmost of cooperation between clinton and the Chinese.......just as in the past.

[polemikos]

Oh, NOW he wants to get tough with the ChiComs.

[yankeedame]

You're thinking of a Renoir

No, you silly! A Renoir is a kind of a car. French, I think. You know, "enviromentally friendly", "two seater" kind of thing.

[Paul Atreides]

I thought that was a Cujo, or a Reno.

[cardinal4]

I would love to see the Chicoms rewrite it just to detail Clintons tresonous dealings with them. Swiss accounts, Chinese hookers, bagmen, what really happened to the hard drives at Los Alamos, Gores involvement, Hillarys affair with a sultry Chinese Madam(Alright, I made that part up), blackmailed Loral Space employees, and drugged Bhudists monks.....(Ok, I made that up, too!)

[Paul Atreides]

Bill Clinton Negotiates Memoir With China

Would this be the china that he and Hillary stole from the White House dining room?

[Lizavetta]

- Former President Clinton, worried that his wife's memoirs lost something in translation, is acting to ensure the same doesn't happen with his coming memoirs.

I stopped reading after the last two words.

Blecch.

[IncPen]

You're thinking of a Renoir. ;-)

I think it's a budoir

[perfect stranger]

"Barnett said he did not know whether the book contains passages that might raise the ire of Chinese officials because he had not yet seen material relating to that country."

Some people just aren't good liars.

[IncPen]

Hey! I had a smiley on #18 and it's not showing up!

: )