Tucked away behind 20ft red walls just west of Tiananmen Square in Beijing is China's power enclave, Zhongnanhai. This closely guarded compound has been home to Chinese leaders and high-ranking Communist Party members, including Mao Zedong, since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Behind these imposing walls this week the Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, and an entourage of 175, were busy finalising preparations for a trip to Europe, beginning tomorrow. The first stop for the high powered delegation is Ireland, on the first official visit to our shores by a member of China's ruling elite.
The Premier offers a warm handshake and smiles for the obligatory photocall in Zi Guang Ge, a meeting house built in traditional Chinese style inside Zhongnanhai. He looks considerably younger than his 72 years. He is charming, articulate and smart. But he also has a reputation for being tough and uncompromising.
The architect of China's current economic success is also suave and sophisticated. He looks like someone dressed from Savile Row, is well read in English literature and has very good spoken English.
Despite this, and following time-honoured tradition, Mr Zhu uses his interpreter throughout this rare one-to-one interview. However, he bursts into English at the end when asked a question about the Chinese leadership, something his handlers had warned beforehand was out of bounds.
Would he stay on as Premier after late 2002 when he and other leaders are due to retire because of age?
There is a nervous ripple in the hall, but Mr Zhu laughs uproariously and answers without assistance from his translator, who is perched behind his chair. "It is impossible," he chortles. "I am too old. I am too old!"
The format for the interview is clearly set in advance. The Irish Times was asked to submit written questions to be answered in written form on the day of the meeting with the Premier. There would be only 10 minutes for direct questions due to pressure of time.
Two of the written questions, which centred on the leadership, were disallowed as they were deemed "too personal". One question asked what his plans were for retirement and what in his view would be his legacy to the Chinese people. The other was what challenges lay ahead for the new leadership. Obviously the upcoming leadership changes are a sensitive issue with the Chinese.
The Premier sits in relaxed mode, and microphones relay the interview to an audience of approximately 12 officials sitting in a row of chairs to his left. The official State news agency, Xinhua, is also represented.
Mr Zhu delivers a message of friendship and co-operation to Ireland and the Irish people. He speaks of his admiration for our booming economy and high tech sector, and expresses his support for the Northern Ireland peace process. He is looking forward to his visit.
One of the biggest issues exercising China in recent months has been relations with the US, following the spy-plane crisis, the decision to sell arms to Taiwan and President George Bush's threat to pull out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.
Responding to President Bush's statement last weekend that the US would pull out of the ABM, on its "own timetable", the Premier was emphatic. Such a move would "further worsen the arms race in the world", he said.
In a written answer on China-US relations, he says they are "faced with a good opportunity for growth". Both sides are working hard for the visit of President Bush to China in October, when the Chinese President, Mr Jiang Zemin, will meet President Bush at the APEC meetings in Shanghai. Mr Zhu said the issue of missile defence would be on the agenda.
While China was ready to work with the US to develop a constructive and co-operative relationship, he warns of issues in the "bilateral relations" that call for "proper handling", especially the Taiwan question.
He said he is convinced that as long as the basic principles governing international relations are observed, and "as long as the existing issues in the bilateral relations, the Taiwan question in particular, are handled properly, the relations between China and the US will improve further and develop steadily".
He denies that the signing of the recent "Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Co-operation" treaty between China and Russia was a step towards a joining of forces against the US.
"The core idea of the treaty is non-alignment, non-confrontation", he said, and it was "against the truth to identify such a peace and friendship treaty as one of joining forces against a third country".
Mr Zhu repeats his aim outlined at the launch of China's 10th Five-Year Plan in March that China develop a socialist democratic political system.
When asked about political reform and if he saw China moving closer to a democracy in the years ahead, he says: "The very purpose of our political reform is to further socialist democracy and improve the legal system.
"We will further improve specific mechanisms of socialist democracy in order to ensure that our people exercise their full rights to democratic elections, decision-making, management and supervision, and enjoy extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with law, and that human rights are respected and protected."
However, he says that China differs greatly from Western countries in "social system development", history, and cultural background.
"We must not mechanically copy the political systems of other countries. In developing our democracy we must give full consideration to our own historical background, economic development level and cultural and educational level.
"The kind of democracy we are to develop should help maintain national unity, ethnic solidarity and social stability".
Mr Zhu does not directly answer a question as to whether the human rights situation in China would improve in the run-up to the Olympic Games. He says the fact Beijing was successful in its bid represents the international community's recognition of China's all-round development, including social progress, in the last 20 years with reform and opening up.
"It also demonstrates its trust in Beijing and in the Chinese people."
Hosting the Games, he adds, will help advance "all undertakings" in China and will help the world know more about China. It would "enable China to stand in the family of nations with greater confidence".
Personally, the Premier says, he shares the joy of the Chinese people in getting the Olympics. He promises he will help and urges the various agencies to prepare carefully for the Games and to make them a great success for the people of the whole world.
But on human rights and the row sparked over the controversial proposal to twin Dublin and Beijing, he pulls no punches, accusing people who make "irresponsible" comments on China's human rights situation of not knowing China very well.
"Those without any bias will acknowledge that the human rights situation in China now is better than any other period in history. It is not abnormal for countries with different national conditions to have different views on the human rights issue".
Asked if he would personally favour a twinning between Dublin and Beijing he said: "Increased exchanges and co-operation between Beijing and Dublin will benefit both."
When asked about the Chinese government crackdown on the spiritual movement Falun Gong, and the detention for the last year in a labour camp in China of Trinity College postgraduate student, Zhao Ming, Mr Zhu is trenchant.
"Falun Gong is an anti-humanity, anti-society and anti-science cult organisation which has been outlawed by the Chinese government according to law," he said. The movement "exercises spiritual control over its practitioners, causes death and disrupts families".
He continues: "No responsible government can sit by without doing anything against such a cult organisation. Fighting against cults is precisely for the purpose of safeguarding citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms and defending China's constitution and other laws."
Mr Zhu answers in great detail questions on the Chinese economy, the gap between rich and poor and impending entry to the World Trade Organisation. While WTO accession would bring both "pain and gain", he expresses confidence the positives will outweigh the negatives.
He admits that accession would affect smaller enterprises with high production costs and poor management more seriously, and that agriculture will bear the brunt.
It is for this reason, he says, that China has insisted on a status as a developing country in the WTO negotiations "to ensure that the 900 million rural people in China at least would maintain living standards and that China's agriculture would still be able to compete in the international market after its WTO accession".
Mr Zhu says he is confident that the Chinese economy will continue to move forward along the track of rapid development. China's GDP in the first half of this year went up by 7.9 per cent compared with the same time last year.
"We need to settle salient conflicts and problems in the economy and society, improve our people's livelihood continuously, further increase China's overall national strength and gradually narrow the gap between China and developed countries."
The Premier says China admires Ireland's remarkable achievements in economic development in recent years.
"The key to your success is education, science and technology," he points out, adding that this proves it is imperative for a country to go along with the trend, grasp opportunities and formulate a sound development strategy.
"China is implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the nation through science and education, and we would like to share our experience with you and learn from each other so that we may enhance co-operation amidst development and achieve development through co-operation."
He speaks of Ireland's economic growth particularly in the high-tech area, where it has had a lot of success.
"I want my visit this time to be a learning experience. I hope my visit will be a success and that it can further promote the friendly relations and co-operation between China and Ireland."
