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In a rare interview with foreign media, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (the popular “Grandpa Wen”) was interviewed by CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria. Although it’s annoying to listen to the translator’s voice dubbed over Wen’s–hasn’t CNN heard of subtitles?–Zakaria and Wen touch on a variety of issues, from the economy to the Dalai Lama.

At the beginning of the first clip, Zakaria explains that one of his conditions for the interview was that he was allowed to ask any question that he wished. While watching the video, there’s certainly a sense that in his carefully phrased answers, Wen is speaking both to the American and to the domestic audience.

Before watching this video, it’s well worth reading this insightful article by James Fallows on the delicate economic balance between China and the US.

Part One:

Part Two:

Some particular highlights:

• Wen refutes the idea that China is a superpower, because of the large gap between the rural and urban areas
• Wen turns the table on Zakaria and asks if he, Zakaria, agrees with him on China’s role in negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear threat
• Zakaria asks Wen about the famous photo of Wen during the Tian’anmen Square protests (Regarding that photo, Richard Spencer has an excellent analysis of Wen’s place as a “good official” in the Chinese political narrative), Wen diplomatically turns that into a question about democracy
• Citing Adam Smith, Wen reconciles the inherent contradiction in having a market economy within a socialist system
• Zakaria asks about the Great Firewall and if it is possible for an advanced society to develop under this kind of censorship

The transcript of the video is also available.

Fiona Lee is a freelance writer/marketer/blogger based in Beijing. She blogs at quirkyBeijing.com

Caught this GOOD Magazine feature by Thomas P.M. Barnett via China Law Blog and felt violently compelled to share this with as many people as possible. Sure, it doesn’t cover everything, but it should be a required reading for a basic foundation of non-idiocy for everyone (especially Americans) when it comes to understanding the relevance and importance of China. 

Put down your rifle (no offense, Mr. Heston), pick out another cold one, and get your read on:

10. Because Nixon went to China and your world was born.

9. Because China may be an ancient civilization, but it’s a young society that’s growing up very quickly-and unevenly.

8. Because China’s transformation echoes much of America’s past: not only the good, but plenty of the bad, and the ugly too.

7. Because China’s rapid and deep integration into manufacturing means that Chinese products permeate your life-at some risk.

6. Because China’s demand for resources is altering global markets in ways both profound and perverse.

5. Because the panda “huggers” versus “sluggers” debate is a lot of hot air-until Washington scares Beijing into raising your mortgage interest rate five points overnight.

4. Because as China builds out its infrastructure, it can set a good or a bad example to developing economies struggling to deal with fragile environments.

3. Because China is globalization’s general contractor: always happy to take the job and your money, but hard to get on the phone once you discover problems.

2. Because China will not be our biggest future enemy but our most important ally.

1. Because we’re less than five years from a new generation of Chinese leaders with whom a far stronger relationship may well be built.

I’m particularly amused that the list ends with something that could be construed as a point of hope.