DATE=3/17/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42876
TITLE=ZHU RONGJI PROFILE
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: WEDNESDAY/TODAY MARKS THE FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE FOR
CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI -- WHOSE TERM SO FAR HAS BEEN
CHARACTERIZED BY HIS TOUGH, NO-NONSENSE STYLE. VOA'S STEPHANIE
HO REPORTS, WHILE MR. ZHU HAS STAKED HIS REPUTATION ON REFORMING
THE CHINESE ECONOMY, IT MAY PROVE TO BE A MORE DIFFICULT TASK
THAN HE AT FIRST IMAGINED.
TEXT: DESPITE STRAINED RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED
STATES, AMERICAN OFFICIALS STILL HAVE HIGH PERSONAL REGARD FOR
CHINESE PREMIER ZHU.
ONE EXAMPLE CAME IN A MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH BETWEEN THE
CHINESE LEADER AND U-S TRADE REPRESENTATIVE CHARLENE BARSHEFSKY.
MS.BARSHEFSKY IS KNOWN FOR CHASTISING CHINA FOR INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OR DISAGREEING WITH BEIJING OVER THE
TERMS UNDER WHICH IT WOULD JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.
AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE PREMIER, THOUGH,
MS.BARSHEFSKY NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH DIFFERENCES REMAIN, MR. ZHU IS
SOMEONE THE UNITED STATES CAN WORK WITH.
// BARSHEFSKY ACT //
I WAS MOST IMPRESSED, MOST IMPRESSED, WITH HIS SERIOUSNESS, WITH
HOW WELL-VERSED HE WAS IN SO MANY ASPECTS OF THE TALKS. I WAS
VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS CANDOR, BUT ALSO WITH HIS RESOLVE TO SEE
IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
// END ACT //
MS. BARSHEFSKY IS NOT ALONE -- WESTERNERS WHO HAVE MET HIM HAVE
REPEATEDLY PRAISED THE PREMIER, A TECHNOCRAT WHO HAS BEEN
REFERRED TO AS ONE-CHOP ZHU, FOR HIS BLUNTNESS.
IN CHINA, THOUGH, HIS EFFORTS TO STREAMLINE THE MASSIVE
BUREAUCRACY AND END OFFICIAL CORRUPTION HAVE ASSURED HE WOULD NOT
WIN UNIVERSAL POPULARITY. WHEN HE FIRST TOOK OFFICE LAST YEAR,
HE ANNOUNCED THAT ONE OF HIS FIRST STEPS WAS TO REORGANIZE THE
GOVERNMENT AND CUT FOUR MILLION STATE WORKERS -- OR HALF THE
TOTAL.
WHEN HE TOURED AREAS PLAGUED BY SEVERE FLOODING LAST YEAR, THE
PREMIER CRITICIZED LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR USING SUBSTANDARD
MATERIALS FOR FLOOD CONTROL WORKS. HE WAS QUOTED IN STATE-RUN
CHINESE MEDIA AS SAYING THE DIKES WERE SO POORLY-MAINTAINED THAT
THEY APPEARED TO BE MADE WITH TURTLE EGGS AND BEAN CURD.
HIS ATTACKS AGAINST LOCAL CORRUPTION CONTINUE. IN HIS WORK
REPORT TO THE JUST-CONCLUDED ANNUAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE,
MR. ZHU WARNED LOCAL OFFICIALS NOT TO ABUSE THEIR POWER.
// ZHU INTERPRETER ACT //
WE SHALL PUNISH OFFICIALS WHO EMBEZZLE FUNDS AND ACCEPT BRIBES.
// END ACT //
THE PREMIER ALSO EMPHASIZED THAT STATE SECTOR REFORM WILL
CONTINUE -- DESPITE THE PAIN OF WIDESPREAD LAYOFFS AS A RESULT OF
CLOSING STATE ENTERPRISES. MEANTIME, DESPERATE, UNEMPLOYED
WORKERS HAVE BEEN HOLDING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PROTESTS AROUND
CHINA, AS THEY LOSE, NOT ONLY THEIR JOBS, BUT MANY OF THEIR
SOCIAL BENEFITS.
AT HIS DEBUT NEWS CONFERENCE LAST YEAR, MR. ZHU SHOWED A
REFRESHING SENSE OF HUMOR, BY REMARKING THAT HE CONSIDERED
HIMSELF TO BE AN UGLY MAN. THIS YEAR, HE MADE ANOTHER
SELF-DEPRECATING STATEMENT ABOUT HIS APPEARANCE, BUT HE APPEARED
TO BE FAR LESS RELAXED THAN BEFORE.
MR. ZHU SAYS HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE WAS FRAUGHT WITH UNFORSEEN
COMPLICATIONS.
// ZHU AND INTERPRETER ACT // (CHINESE)
THE FIRST REASON WAS BECAUSE THE EFFECT OF THE ASIAN FINANCIAL
CRISIS WAS MORE SERIOUS THAN WE EXPECTED, AND THE SECOND REASON
WAS THAT THE EXTREMELY MAMMOTH FLOODING, WHICH WE'VE RARELY SEEN
IN HISTORY, ALSO CAUSED DIFFICULTIES GREATER THAN WE EXPECTED.
// END ACT //
SOME WESTERN ANALYSTS PUT SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES AT MR. ZHU'S
DOORSTEP. THEY SAY HE OVERESTIMATED THE POTENTIAL OF CHINA'S
ECONOMY AND HAS BACKTRACKED ON SOME KEY REFORMS.
THE 70-YEAR-OLD MR. ZHU HAS FOUR MORE YEARS IN OFFICE TO
ESTABLISH HIS PLACE IN HISTORY. WHAT HIS LEGACY WILL BE, THOUGH
-- BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CHINA -- STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
(SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC
17-Mar-99 6:20 AM EST (1120 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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