A book recording former Chinese President Jiang Zemin's overseas visits between 1990 and 2002 was released at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Sunday.

 

Over 400 Chinese diplomats, officials and scholars, including State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and former Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, attended the book's launch ceremony.

 

The 654-page book, entitled For a Better World: Jiang Zemin's Overseas Visits, covers most of Jiang's diplomatic activities for the 13 years he served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China's President.

 

It starts with Jiang's three-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1990 and ends with his visit to the United States and his participation in the 10th annual Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Mexico in 2002.

 

The 11-chapter book with 167 pictures tells stories of Jiang's personal contact with world leaders and many historical events such as his attendance at the Hong Kong and Macao handover ceremonies.

 

It also gives a detailed account of how China and the United States managed to warm the frosty ties after 1989, Jiang's meeting with the last President of the former Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and his visits to Israel and Palestine.

 

China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing says in a foreword he has written for the book that Jiang arrived as China's diplomatic work was in great difficulties in 1989 and under "sanctions" from certain western countries.

 

Standing at a strategic level Jiang had exercised great political wisdom and made tireless efforts to create a new environment for China's diplomatic work, Li said.

 

Analysts observe that the diplomatic efforts undertaken by the third generation of leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Jiang Zemi at the center has abided by the independent foreign policy of peace and made remarkable contributions on safeguarding national interests and promoting world peace and development.

It also demonstrated Jiang's diplomatic wisdom as party and state leader, analysts said.

 

From 1989 to 2002, Jiang visited over 70 countries and traveled nearly 600,000 kilometers, according to the book.

 

State Councilor Tang, also a former Foreign Minister, said publication of the book had "significant meaning" for Chinese diplomats. It allowed them to inherit and develop the socialist diplomatic theories of Chinese characteristics and would help them better understand China's diplomatic policies so as to push the country's diplomatic work into new phase.

 

The book is published by the World Affairs Press of China.

 

Born in 1926, Jiang became General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 1989. He stopped serving as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2002 and President of China in 2003.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2006)