Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was a featured speaker at a lunch briefing on Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the United States. The briefing, sponsored by the National Bureau of Asian Research and The U.S. - China Working Group on April 4 also included remarks from David M. Lampton, director of the China Studies Program at Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics.
Li's presentation focused on Hu's personality, policy priorities and political strengths and weaknesses. Calling Hu "a populist, patron and pragmatist," Li pointed out that Hu's pragmatism means that he is a "Chinese leader with whom we can work… there is a good chance that China will make significant political progress in the coming years."
