I am gonna get flamed over it probably, but I kind of think Zhu might be an alright kinda guy, at least on a personal level. If I am not mistaken he talked a bunch of students into going home too and not running around burning down the city. Such actions are appreciated. That is unlike those other guys who try to stir people up to anger on purpose.
People don't realize it but if he goes around "taking America's side" in public it will cause a big uproar. He has to maintain a little face with some of the other cadres...
I actually think Jiang at one point was trying to make friends with America. When he came over that one time and was singing Elvis songs comes to mind... He got frustrated though when Congress snubbed him...
If I was to give him one message about that, it would be 'don't take it personally'. Jiang or Zhu might not condone all that goes on in their party. There are problems though, and since he is the President he got it...
Keep in mind though I will not go so far as to give him too much credit though. Its no love affair at all...
I don't doubt for a minute that Jiang put his stamp on some of the hostile intentions China undertakes.
Things are not always as they seem on the surface. I would venture to say that some of these guys really do want to change things for the better, but only they cannot bellow it at the top of their lungs like in America.
What he did in Shanghai in 1989 was widely praised in China, from Deng Xiaoping to the general public. He announced on TV that he would never ask the PLA to crush the demonstration. Instaed he asked the workers to come out to restore the order of the city. What moved the students most was what he said in tears: "I, with citizens and students of Shanghai, will defend the city with my blood and life."
>>I actually think Jiang at one point was trying to make friends with America. When he came over that one time and was singing Elvis songs comes to mind... He got frustrated though when Congress snubbed him...
Jiang is a politician with no principles. He cares about power. His trying to make friends with the US is to consolidate his position in the party. However after the embassy bombing his pro-American policy was thought to be a failure by the leadership.
>>I don't doubt for a minute that Jiang put his stamp on some of the hostile intentions China undertakes.
Of course Jiang can go tough with the US. The EP-3 inccident was an example. It wouldn't have been that big deal if Jiang had not felt his position was threatened. It was Jiang who repeatedly asked for the formal apology from the US. The US plays "China card" and the CCP plays "the US card", too. Hu's political career started from the Youth League. He knows the young people and is good at motivating and manipulating the youth. In China a person who has a high position but doesn't talk too much is someone you have to pay more attention to.