************************************************************** IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 5079 Nov 24, 1993 ************************************************************** Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS) 733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005 Tel. (202)347-0017 Fax: (202)347-0018 Email: ifcss@wam.umd.edu IFCSS Representative Questioning President Jiang Zemin ====================================================== On November 20, 1993, the Chinese President Jiang Zemin held a press conference at the International Media Center in Seattle. The IFCSS Executive Director Liu Xiaozhu asked questions to President Jiang, but Jiang did not give direct answers. Here is the word for word translation (from Chinese) of the exchange. Liu Xiaozhu: "Respected (Zun1 Jing4 De4) President Jiang, the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars welcome your visit to America and wish it a great success. The IFCSS (Quan2 Mei3 Xue2 Zi4 Lian2) is the only nation-wide self- governing organization among Chinese students and scholars in America. The IFCSS views..." Wu Jianmin (interrupting in English): "If you have questions, please ask questions. The time is short. I am sorry." Liu Xiaozhu: "The IFCSS has a few proposals. I would like to ask you, respected President Jiang, to give your views on these proposals. The first is to establish seats in the People's Congress for the overseas scholars (Hai3 Wai4 Xue2 Ren2) and overseas Chinese (Hua2 Qiao2) so as to increase their attachness (Xiang4 Xin1 Li4) to their own motherland; another is increasing the weight of political reforms while economic reforms are successful in order to promote China's long-term stability and political brightness (Zheng4 Zhi4 Qing1 Ming2); the IFCSS hopes to cooperate with the government in assisting the Chinese students to go back to participate in economic construction; the IFCSS also hopes that the government is supportive and tolerant to the delegation to be organized by the IFCSS to visit China for observation and learning. Thank you." President Jiang: "I think I have heard your idea (Wo3 Xiang3 Wo3 Gang1 Cai2 Ting1 Dao4 Le4 Ni3 De4 Yi4 Si1). I think it is an exposition (Shuo1 Ming1), not questions (Wen4 Ti2). I have known (Wo3 Zhi1 Dao4 Le4)." The Interpreter hesitated and turned to President Jiang. Jiang, half-turning to the interpreter, stretched out both his hands and repeated in low voice: "That is (Jiu4 Shi4), I already know (Wo3 Yi3 Jing1 Zhi1 Dao4 Le4). The interpreter then proceeded translating Jiang's words. President Jiang: "I would like to add a few more words. Before my visit to America, we adopted during the Third Plenery Session a resolution on the questions of the market economy. Undoubtedly, up to the end of the century, China's socialist market economy has a main direction (Ji1 Ben3 Fang1 Xiang4). As I have mentioned when answering other questions earlier, we have been constantly strengthening democratic and legal construction. China has 1.17 billion population, and the people throughout China are actively participating in construction. (There are a few words that are not very clear in the recording.)" Thus President Jiang gave recognition to the four-points raised by the IFCSS, and chose not to respond to them directly. ********************************************************************* * IFCSS Headquarters Office * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * President: Lin Changsheng Vice President: Shi Heping * * Exec. Director: Liu Xiaozhu Chief of Staff: Huang Songyun * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. To sign * * on or off from IFCSS E-mail mailing list, please send email to : * * listserv@ifcss.org * * leave the subject line open and put in the mail body: * * (For signing on) sub PBS-L last name first name * * (For signing off) unsub PBS-L last name first name * * For more information about IFCSS, write to ifcss-info@ifcss.org * *********************************************************************