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By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Tuesday, April 6, 1999

Before Chinese premier Zhu Rongji meets with President Clinton in Washington on Thursday, he will begin his nine-day U.S. tour in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He is scheduled to meet Gov. Gray Davis (D) and Democratic donor/Disney chairman Michael Eisner. Vice President Gore will also be in California on a fund-raising tour.

"Why are the Republican men so butt ugly and mean-spirited?" – Michigan Democrat Geoffrey Fieger, demonstrating that mean-spiritedness is in fact a bipartisan issue. (Detroit Free Press, April 6)

Adding to this California confluence of Democrats, fund-raising and Chinese officials, the Los Angeles Times editorializes that Zhu was wise to make the trip despite that paper's Sunday article reporting the alleged funneling of $300,000 from China's military intelligence chief to Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign.

• A Busy Day in Los Angeles for China's Premier (Los Angeles Times, April 6)
• Gore, on Campaign Visit, Backs Policy on Kosovo (Los Angeles Times, April 6)
• Clinton Urged to Confront Zhu on Funds (Los Angeles Times, April 6)
• Editorial: A Tough List for Zhu (Los Angeles Times, April 6)
• Gore Drawing Early GOP Fire on Visit to State (Los Angeles Times, April 5)

N.C. Delegation to Visit China in May
North Carolina Commerce Secretary Rick Carlisle will make his second trip to China in May. Carlisle will spend most of his time at a Shanghai conference between 50 North Carolina bankers and 50 Chinese bankers.
• Another China Trip Planned (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., April 6)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com