version without pictures printable pdf single page March 9 • March 11
I slept much better last night and slept in until 7:20. How nice to feel a bit more relaxed. Our bed is quite squishy — maybe one of those pillow top mattresses that Vladimir described to me. I feel like I’m climbing out of a hole every time I turn over. I’m not really complaining, however. Though I described our room upon arrival, I must say it is really amazing to have a room where you can’t reach out and touch all walls! Now we have several. What luxury! The ship is very comfortable and elegant. Food is amazing and more than ample. I’m helped usually by someone carrying my plate as I go through the line. The staff seems to be from all over the world not as soon many ships that seem to concentrate on employees from one country. Everyone is intensely polite and thoughtful.
This morning we had our final address by President Bush. He was introduced by Prof. Roger Porter who was in the White House for 11 years as Assistant Economic and Business Adviser. Only FDR and Bush 1 have been there longer! He tried to give us a measure of the man. When his daughter Rachel was born she received a handwritten letter from President Bush welcoming her to the world and describing the world he hoped she would live in. Certainly thoughtful and beyond the call of duty. His second story was that he was overdressed when he arrived at Kennebunkport for an important weekend meeting with Bush and his advisors. Instead of embarrassing him, the President walked over to him and guided him by the shoulder to his room and closet where he picked out a few more appropriate clothes for him to be more comfortable in. He has seen Bush demonstrate this kind of thoughtfulness over and over again. He is of the man of character and courage. He told us there is no more powerful job than being President of the US and he has liked to watch how President’s use this power. Barbara Bush is sitting in the wings and needlepointing throughout the various lectures.
I wrap it up today and you can move on to speakers who know more than I do, began the President. You can go on living the good life. Barbara and I get off in Shanghai and christen a container ship tomorrow. We will fly on to Korea where we meet the new President and then on back to Texas.
This morning I will speak about China and then some on personal diplomacy. I tried to learn lessons well from my mother. She told me to listen well and not brag. Mother called me on the phone after Reagan’s first State of the Union Address while I was still in the hall. She said while Reagan was talking to the country you were talking to Tip O’Neill. You ought to have been smiling more. Mother they were talking about nuclear annihilation and I shouldn’t have been smiling at all! He also said his father led him by quiet example. This was a crowd pleaser. I like his self-deprecating humor. He seems to be the master of one liners!
Next he spoke about the Berlin wall coming down and that he had a good relationship with Helmut Kohl and Gorbachev. Sometimes it’s better to be prudent and wait a bit allowing the other side to admit loss gracefully. He did an imitation of Saturday Night Live which also brought laughs. Gorbachev told him later that by his not over reacting to the wall coming down allowed him the space he needed.
It’s hard to imagine that I came to Asia 65 years ago as a combat officer. You have to be careful telling war stories. I was quite convinced my unit won the war but then you meet these other old fellows (some on this ship) who think they won the war too!
Things have changed dramatically over time since 1974 and 75 and the end of the Cultural Revolution. It’s hard to find anyone that believes in it anymore. It was a terrible trip for China. Then Beijing was dusty and dark. Barbara and I used to ride on our bicycles all around town and in the hutongs. All were wearing Mao jackets and their body language was guarded. Deng came into power and was able to unleash the Chinese spirit once again and started the one country two systems. This dark and unhappy time was such a contrast to what we see today. Now we are swept up in the energy and diversity and flexibility that is now China. He’s confident that China will keep moving forward with vibrancy. He believes Deng would be both delighted and amazed by this rapidly changing China.
He spoke on a bit of stream of consciousness — he hopes we will be able to engage China constructively in the future. The universities are doing well. We really have to get this part of the world right.
Thanks for this opportunity to lecture! I don’t get to do this at home. It’s been cathartic! He thanked the Kendall’s for being a part of this grand gathering. This was followed by group pictures. Guess who was sitting right next to the Bush’s (moi) and on the other side sat Sidney and Yulin Rittenberg. Pretty amazing! I had a chance to thank the President for reminiscing with us.
We have to do something about our trade imbalances. There are far more human rights now than there were but there is a long way yet to go. He hopes some groups protesting this at the Olympics don’t try to take over the games. The games should be kept out of politics. Barbara and he have been back to China 19 times since he left office. They are coming back again for the Olympics.
One of the challenges facing China is the massive internal migration to the cities to look for work. It presents both challenges and opportunities. In 30 years China has increased the size of the US! The life expectancy has risen from 62 to 72 years of age. There are fifteen fold more students. Cell phone usage has gone from 2 million to 350 million. The GDP has increased by 50. The trade volume has increased by more than 300%. And so ended our time with the President. But not quite. When I had left our lunch table to get dessert, the President went by and shook Phil’s hand on his way to his own table. So literally we’ve both been touched by this President. My only President at close range and maybe the third President for Phil that he has seen. It does come with an emotional impact!
The next lecture was by Roger Porter “Looking Back and Looking Forward: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going.” He loves the world of public policy. He spoke from the vantage point of 50 years. Most students don’t hear this. He spoke about the end of the Cold War, the spread of democracy, and who was in power in the US in those fifty years and the shifting priorities. The Republicans were in power 30 years and the Democrats 20 years. The Senate was dominated by R for 16 and a half years while the D dominated for 33 and a half years. In the House it was 76% D and 24% R. It was an unprecedented time of shared economic prosperity. There was a shift in government spending from discretionary to mandatory. Porter was a thoughtful lecturer and easy to follow.
After lunch at 3 pm we heard Jonathan Spence: “Shanghai: Years of Growth and Change.” Countries are like living organisms always changing. Spoke about Shanghai between 1840 and 1940. Shanghai is the world’s greatest exercise in rebuilding. One-third of the world’s cranes are active in Shanghai. Shanghai has been the symbol of change and revolution. It’s often been a prosperous town with a good location. Shanghai has taken a beating. Mao never liked it. Deng helped bring it back. I remember learning in 1979 that it was the most Europeanized city in China.
Our last lecture of the day was by Sidney Rittenberg: “The Man Who Stayed Behind.” He is a soft spoken humble man. He’s here because he is a friend of Jason’s mother. Jason is on the High Country Passage staff. His mom and the Rittenberg’s are neighbors in the Seattle area. He was the only American to join the Chinese Communist Party.
We have learned wonderful insights about China and US relationships on this trip. He has been greatly impressed. Now, he feels, the tide has gone away from China being viewed as a friendly country. He feels this is sad. Our general public doesn’t know much about China. This is also reflected in Congress. He agrees with Bush that the Olympics should be kept non-political. Did we know that 44,000 outside journalists will be attending the Olympics! He thought Spielberg was wrong to withdraw his support. By doing so he hurt every single Chinese person. We all need to go home and write and talk to people about what we learned here conveying our insights about how important this relationship is.
US tends to block out reason when it comes to communist countries. We can’t see their leaders simply as leaders but we see them as communist leaders. He has spent his life trying to build bridges between the two countries. It has been the passion of his life. He spoke of his missed opportunity to meet with Mao. He believes human happiness is found in service. He’s now working on a book about anecdotes of his in China. He believes it is still true that you can’t speak freely in the party.
Mao didn’t have any personal friends like the other Chinese leaders. Before he got to Beijing he was the best listener he had every observed. When talking to him you felt his full concentration on you. When he got into power in Beijing he was an entirely new person. He never totally trusted Mao and felt that Mao didn’t like him. The rest he spoke about his prison experiences and life experiences here.
After dinner I was really fighting sleep but made it to the 10:15 pm concert. A charming violinist originally from Chicago who grew up in Australia. Played a lot of gypsy music as well as his own compositions My body adapting more today. Made it through lunch without the need to drink and made it through the afternoon without a pain pill. I took the tension out with a hot shower but still couldn’t really rest.