Ceremonies Give Summit Some Teeth--in the Form of Smiles

As a luncheon for Chinese President Jiang Zemin wrapped up Wednesday, a tall American with a massive smile strode across the ornate State Department dining room and sat next to a senior Chinese official.

“Our countries have so much in common,” the man gleefully told the Chinese official, proclaiming that cooperation will only get better.

As the American left, Liu Huaqiu, Jiang’s national security advisor, broke into a chuckle. “He’s very happy,” the Chinese official told his table mates, his face brightening with a mischievous smile.

The cheery American, he revealed, was Ron Woodard, president of the Seattle-based Boeing Co.’s commercial aircraft group, which officials acknowledged earlier in the day is selling 50 aircraft to China in a deal to be announced today.

“Three billion U.S. dollars--that’s why he keeps smiling,” Liu said, referring to the deal’s value.

Although vexing issues, such as human rights, brought their share of tension to the official portions of this key day of Jiang’s U.S. visit, the ceremonial parts gave everyone--particularly those in the business world--a chance to smile broadly.

Jiang, the first top Chinese leader to visit the White House since 1979, himself seemed eager to mark the day with lots of grins.

During the opening ceremony on the White House lawn, Jiang burst into a smile as he switched from Chinese to English in a speech.

“Let us, the Chinese and the Americans, join hands and, together with people around the world, work hard to bring about a new century of peace, stability and prosperity,” he said in clear English.

His host, President Clinton, flashed a smile of his own as the two listened to their countries’ national anthems and watched a fife and drum corps dressed in Revolutionary-era attire perform.

Later, as Jiang enjoyed the regal lunch put on by Vice President Al Gore in the State Department’s opulent Benjamin Franklin Room, Jiang smiled broadly as Gore quoted from Chinese writer Lu Xun: “When people pass one way, a road is made.”

The lunch was a chance for more than 200 U.S. business executives and cultural and political figures to greet the Chinese leader.

Many of the invitees had personal stories about how the presidents’ meeting had helped their own efforts at bridging the economic and cultural chasms between the United States and China.

Thomas Krens, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, remarked how China gave a great boost to plans to send a sweeping exhibition of 5,000 years of Chinese art to this country--once Clinton was reelected and China was assured that the summit meeting would take place as planned.

Instead of fighting to get about 20% to 30% of what the museum had sought, the Guggenheim found that it was being given 90% of the paintings, ceramics, and bronze and jade works of art it wanted, with discussions focusing on only the final 10%.

“It’s been part of a larger political agenda of the Chinese” to improve their ties with the United States, Krens said.

He is counting on media attention to help raise the rest of the $8 million needed to stage the exhibition in February. So far, investors have been reticent.

“I’m hoping that this flashing display of normalcy will coax the intensely interested but skeptical corporate sponsors out of the woodwork,” Krens said.

Jiang’s schedule in Washington was packed. After lunch, he went back across Pennsylvania Avenue to Blair House, where he and his wife, Wang Yeping, are staying.

He met there with a series of guests before attending a reception with 26 senators hosted by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who knows Jiang from the days when they were mayors of sister cities--San Francisco and Shanghai.

Jiang also met during the day with Bob Dole, the former Senate majority leader and 1996 Republican presidential candidate.

The final event of the day was a formal state dinner in the East Room, where tables were set with Eisenhower gold base plates and Franklin D. Roosevelt china. In all, 232 guests were expected and about 150 more people were invited to join the after-dinner festivities.

After dinner, the presidents and their guests were treated to a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.