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Move over Obama: Clinton continues to win China's heart
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Clinton speaks with Jack Ma, CEO of China's Alibaba in 2009. AP.
BEIJING, CHINA – As President Barack Obama prepares for his first Asia trip next month, one thing is clear: he has a long way to go to win the enthusiasm of China’s citizens the way that former President Bill Clinton continues to.
I recently spoke with Chinese citizens in Beijing about their impressions of Obama as he heads to China on Nov. 18 and 19. I asked Liu Peng, a taxi driver of 20 years, if he liked Obama. “Hai couhe ba” or “So-so.” In the next breath he stated, “Clinton was America’s best president.”
Indeed, in speaking with most of China’s “laobaixing” or ordinary people, they didn’t have much to say about China but wanted to convey their admiration for Clinton. A waitress surnamed Zhang said Chinese people like Clinton because he is “reqing” or warm and hospitable. She said his outgoing manner is vastly different from China’s government leaders who display a button-downed style.
The respect that most Chinese people have for the former U.S. president also created support for Hillary Clinton during her bid for office. Somewhat confused by the U.S. primary system, many Chinese thought it was three-way race between Obama, Clinton, and Republican John McCain. Scores of Chinese people said that Hillary Clinton should be America’s next president because she could receive counsel from her husband.
Clinton’s autobiography, “My Life,” was translated in Chinese by China’s vast, underground counterfeit market. However, to help sales of the book the piracy pirates took the liberty to add some pro-China statements such as Clinton’s childhood fascination with China.
In the pirated version, Clinton tells his uncle, “Take me to China to play. China is a mysterious and unique place . . . I couldn’t help but marvel at the great inventions of the Chinese.”
Clinton visited China in June 1998 on a nine-day tour. It was the first time a U.S. president had visited China in nine years and was widely criticized by Congressional Republicans for making the visit. The president visited China’s former capital of Xi’an, Shanghai, Guilin and attended services at Chongwenmen Church in Beijing.
At Beijing’s Liulichang Antique Street, I asked a vendor what Obama should do on his visit next month if he really wants to understand China.
“He shouldn’t only meet with officials. He needs to get out and meet the real people. He can visit a small restaurant and drink ‘bai jiu’ with the people if he wants to learn about us,” he said. Bai jiu is China’s infamous grain alcohol that usually carries a mind-numbing 80 to 120 proof.
And how do Chinese citizens feel about America’s last president George W. Bush? Despite Mr. Bush’s long relationship with the country – he lived in Beijing for three months as a young man – most Chinese were reluctant to express any views on him.
“I don’t know much about him,” taxi driver Liu said.
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