By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Chinese President Jiang Zemin waves as he leaves
Hawaii from Hickam Air Force Base this morning.
Jiang’s visit:
pomp and protests
After being feted by the mayor
By Gregg K. Kakesako
and governor, Jiang leaves for a summit
with the president
and Susan KreifelsChinese President Jiang Zemin, headed for the first Sino-American summit since Beijing's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy forces in Tiananmen Square, left this morning after spending 24 hours on Oahu. He will join President Bill Clinton in Williamsburg, Va., to discuss trade, non-nuclear proliferation and human rights. The meeting will open with a 21-gun salute on the South Lawn of the White House and close with a black-tie state dinner on Wednesday.
Jiang's public appearances in several U.S. cities will include a tour of Colonial Williamsburg, a speech at Harvard University and a visit to Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
In contrast to his arrival here hailed by 200 of Hawaii's Chinese community, Jiang was seen off at Hickam Air Force Base this morning by only Gov. Ben Cayetano; his wife Vicky; Adm. Joseph Prueher, Pacific Forces commander; and James Sasser, the U.S. ambassador to China.
There were no speeches -- just a giving of lei before Jiang and his wife Wang Yeping climbed back into his white-and-gray Air China 747-400 and left Hawaii at 8:50 a.m.
During dinner last night at Washington Place -- and amid loud chanting by about 100 human-rights demonstrators outside -- Jiang bid farewell to Hawaii by playing "Aloha Oe" on the steel guitar while Vicky Cayetano sang along.
He told Cayetano that the last time he was here several years ago, he was mayor of Shanghai.
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Jiang waves to the press and invited Chinese community
upon arrival at Hickam Air Force Base yesterday. At right is
Gov. Benjamin Cayetano.
"He told me at that time no one paid attention to him," Cayetano said to reporters at Hickam today.During dinner, Jiang said his upcoming summit with Clinton will "usher our relationship into a new stage."
He also said growing connections between Hawaii and China -- such as visits by Cayetano and Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, and the new sister-city relationship between Honolulu and Zhongshan -- were a "force propelling the growth of China-U.S. relations."
Yesterday was a tightly scripted visit for the 71-year-old Jiang, leader of the world's most populous country.
But in his second visit to Hawaii, Jiang was able to try his hand at hula and swam for an hour off the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Among his activities yesterday was a midday visit to the Arizona Memorial, where he dropped an orchid vanda lei into Pearl Harbor.
Jiang exchanged toasts and gifts with Harris at lunch, then with Cayetano at the state dinner.
In his luncheon speech before more than 200 people invited by Harris, Jiang said he learned much about Pearl Harbor.
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Hawaii first lady Vicky Cayetano and Jiang offer a toast.
"In that war, which brought untold sufferings to mankind," Jiang said, "the Chinese people and the American peoples once fought shoulder to shoulder against Fascist aggression and safeguarded the world peace together with other people of the world."Jiang, who speaks English, Russian and Romanian, used an interpreter in all public engagements.
Jiang's plane landed at Hickam at 8:50 a.m. yesterday, greeted by a supportive crowd of more than 200 Chinese college students and local community leaders.
Also on hand were Cayetano, Prueher, Sasser, Harris and retired U.S. Sen. Hiram L. Fong.
The crowd waved American and Chinese flags and a 20-foot red banner welcoming the Chinese leader.
Vernon Ching, past president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, described Jiang's visit as "a thrilling experience... a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Chinese and American flags wave at Jiang's arrival yesterday.
Walter Chang, who joined the welcome with 20 other members of the U.S.-China Friendship Society, called it "a real opportunity and occasion to meet the president."Jiang didn't speak to the crowd, but issued a written statement saying:
"Hawaii, a shining pearl in the Pacific, had long been a major converging point between cultures of the East and the West.
"It also serves as an important bridge for contacts between the Chinese and American peoples."
Jiang added:
"I believe that through the joint efforts of China and the U.S., my visit will deepen our mutual understanding, broaden our common ground and promote friendship and cooperation between our two countries, and that China-U.S. relations will enter a new stage of development."
In his speech, Harris said "the ties between Hawaii and the People's Republic of China are important because the 21st century will be the Asian-Pacific century.
"It's said the economic growth of our region will lead the world in the coming years."
Harris said he wanted direct flights to China and the establishment of a Chinese consulate here.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Sun Gak Sunim, left, and David McInnis, with the
"Free Tibet" sign, were among the protesters outside
Washington Place as Chinese President Jiang Zemin
attended a dinner in his honor.
Local protests deemed
By Susan Kreifels
‘a strong start’
Star-BulletinYou ain't seen nothing yet, Mr. President. If China's Jiang Zemin thinks demonstrations were bad here during his one-day stop en route to a summit with President Clinton, organizers say wait till he gets to the mainland, where human-rights coalitions are planning major gatherings.
Throughout his day here, small groups of protesters awaited Jiang. China experts said this was one of the first times Jiang has faced demonstrators close up.
"This is a strong start if little Hawaii can do it," said Clare Hanusz, area coordinator for Amnesty International.
Before dawn today, protesters were planning to open Jiang's day with a message scrawled in the sand outside his Hilton Hawaiian Village room.
Last night, heading into dinner with Gov. Ben Cayetano, Jiang's motorcade had to drive through about 100 protesters lining the fence outside Washington Place. They yelled into bullhorns, crashed cymbals and blew whistles throughout the dinner, held on the mansion's lanai.
Cayetano spokeswoman Kathleen Racuya-Markrich said music drowned out most of the noise during dinner. But chants of "Free Tibet" and "Human rights now" were clearly heard during the toasts and short remarks made by Cayetano and Jiang.
Cayetano said Jiang told him: "'Don't worry about anything. Let's just enjoy ourselves.' He and I traded stores about demonstrations we were in during college."
Racuya-Markrich said the area outside Washington Place was public property. "We can't get people to move across the street," she said.
"Ben Cayetano, we know you can hear us. You shame us (by the official dinner)," chanters yelled.
"I'm really concerned about human rights in Tibet," said demonstrator Damien Horigan.
The evening rally capped a day of protests dogging Jiang. At his visit to Pearl Harbor yesterday morning, six protesters from Amnesty International demonstrated outside the Arizona Memorial's visitor center. They were kicked out of the center by security, far from Jiang's sight. Eight of the group's members had begun a 24-hour fast on Saturday night.
At midday, some 100 Taiwanese supporters demonstrated on Kalia Road leading to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, site of the mayor's luncheon and where Jiang spent the night.
"We are crying out for Taiwan independence," said Khinhoann Li, 45, a University of Hawaii student.
China considers Taiwan a renegade province that must return to Beijing's control.
Jiang makes Iolani
By Gregg K. Kakesako
wish come true
Star-BulletinIolani sophomore Stanley Chang got a wish fulfilled, and young hula dancer Julianne Suzuki got a special hug -- unexpected recognition from Chinese President Jiang Zemin. When Chang heard that Jiang would be stopping over in Hawaii, he asked if it was possible for him and his class to meet the Chinese leader, said Jeff Hackler, Asian-studies instructor at Iolani.
That was a month ago, and Hackler sought the help of City Councilman Mufi Hannemann, also an Iolani graduate.
Yesterday, Chang, the son of Sen-dou and Angela Chang, got his wish along with 20 of his Asian-studies classmates. They presented Jiang with a navel orange sapling; he in turn gave them his autograph which will be turned into a plaque for the sapling, replanted yesterday in the yard of Headmaster Val Iwashita.
Hackler said the class initially wanted to gift a pine tree but learned it would be too large to uproot. "They settled upon the orange tree, which is the symbol of good luck."
Chang, who spoke in Mandarin and English, told Jiang that "as the tree grows, so will the relations with our country."
Both Jiang and Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris in their luncheon speeches spoke of the link between Iolani and China and Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of modern China, who was educated at the private school from 1880-86 when it was located in Nuuanu valley. A bust of the Chinese leader sits in the school's library.
"Honolulu is a very familiar name for the Chinese people," Jiang said via an interpreter. "As early as the end of the last century, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a forerunner of China's democratic revolution, set up China's first revolutionary organization: Revive China Society of Hawaii in Honolulu. After a lapse of more than hundred years, Zhongshan city, the hometown of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, has become a sister city of Honolulu."
Hackler said he was appreciative of Harris' and Jiang's efforts to fulfill young Chang's wish. "When students have dreams, it's nice when people pitch in to make them come true."
Suzuki, a member of Halau Hula o Hokulani, was one of 100 children performing for the Chinese president, who at one point got up and joined in the group's rendition of "Keiki o ka 'Aina" ("children of the land").
At the end of the performance, Jiang gave Suzuki a bear hug.
Hokulani DeRego, the halau's kumu hula, said the Chinese leader "got rhythm. This is big time ... and we are all excited," she said.
"We wanted to share with people from all over the world the message to listen to the old talks, to the advice of the kupuna and the stories they tell," DeRego said.
200 greeters allowed; hundreds turned away
It was a turn-away crowd at Hickam Air Force Base yesterday morning, with local Chinese organizers having to turn down more than 300 Chinese students and other members of Hawaii's Chinese community.Yen Chun, who helped coordinate the welcome for Chinese President Jiang Zemin, said she was limited to 100 University of Hawaii and Brigham Young University-Hawaii students, and 100 Chinese community leaders. With Hickam closed to the public, the 200 greeters were brought in by five chartered buses from the East-West Center and Chinatown.
Chun said she started putting together a list three weeks ago. "There were a lot of very disappointed people," she said.
Jiang exchanges gifts with governor, mayor
As official hosts to Jiang Zemin, Gov. Ben Cayetano and Mayor Jeremy Harris were allowed to present gifts to the Chinese president.At Washington Place last night, Jiang and wife Wang Yeping were taken to a sitting room for the official gift presentation, where Cayetano and his wife, Vicky, gave them koa wood boxes. Jiang then presented the Cayetanos with an 18-inch porcelain vase.
Cayetano also gave the Jiangs a matching floral-print aloha shirt and full-length long-sleeved muumuu created by Princess Kaiulani.
Harris' gifts to the Jiangs were a John Young painting of horses valued, according to city officials, at more than $20,000; a koa bowl; and a plaque. He also gave Jiang and Chinese delegation members a CD of recordings by the Royal Hawaiian Band, which provided part of the entertainment at yesterday's luncheon.
In return, Jiang gave Harris a framed double-sided floral embroidery.
Lunch menu includes fruit, taro, rare steak
While the 200-plus guests at the mayor's reception feasted on fresh opakapaka and tiger shrimps, Chinese President Jiang Zemin had his first taste of good ol' American steak done rare.Guido Ulmann, Hilton Hawaiian Village's executive chief, said Jiang requested steak, so that's what he got: a Black Angus beef tenderloin.
Ulmann said in preparing the lunch, he tried to give it "a Hawaiian feeling," beginning with an appetizer fruit plate of hand-picked baby sugar pineapple with Maui persimmon, papaya, kiwi and Kahuku watermelon topped with an orange-juice sauce.
Besides the shrimp and the opakapaka, the entree included taro, purple Molokai sweet potato and lotus root topped with a tomato-garlic sauce. Dessert was apple-banana ice cream.
A son declines meeting Jiang while dad protests
Dr. Taying Yang stood outside the Hilton Hawaiian Village with Taiwanese protesters demanding that China accept an independent Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.Meanwhile, his son's Iolani School class had been invited to meet Jiang inside the hotel at an official luncheon.
Yang said his son did not attend, after his wife decided it might not be a good idea.
"I came out to protest, and my son would be inside talking to him (Jiang)," said Yang, president of the Taiwanese Association of America, Hawaii Chapter.
But Yang thought it would have been good for his son to meet China's president. "He's been educated here, and he's learned the value of different opinions."
Jiang begins a speech with part of 'Aloha Oe'
Jiang Zemin, who has the reputation of knowing how to entertain and warm up a crowd, impressed an audience of more than 50 local Chinese leaders and students yesterday by beginning his speech with a strain of "Aloha Oe."Wesley Fong, Chinese Chamber of Commerce president, said, "Everyone joined in."
Stanford Yuen, Lung Doo Benevolent Society president, said he left the private meeting "very impressed" by how Jiang is "very in touch with the Western world."
"China has a bright future in him, and here in Hawaii we should capitalize since we can be part of China's gateway," Yuen said.
Protesters meet at time with symbolic import
The timing was important.Taiwanese protesters met yesterday to demonstrate outside the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The appointed time: 10:10 a.m.
"It was symbolic," said Dr. Taying Yang, explaining that Taiwan's national day is known as "10-10" because it falls on Oct. 10.
By Gregg K. Kakesako and Susan Kreifels
