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
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