4. George H.W. Bush – Visit China soon after taking office
Visiting time: Feb. 25-26, 1989
Place: Beijing
George H.W. Bush started his official visit to China one month after he was sworn in as U.S. President in 1989, the soonest of all.
Bush served as head of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing between 1974 and 1975, when he and his wife, Barbara, often rode bicycles exploring the streets of Beijing, as both an exercise and a direct way to learn about Chinese society and reach ordinary people. He even won the nickname "a bicycle-riding envoy" during the mid-1970s.
When he paid a state visit to China as a U.S. President in 1989, he and his wife received two brand new "Flying Pigeon" bikes as gifts. Bush hopped onto the bike and posed for a ride in front of the media.
"We value the new relationship our two countries have established with each other… We remain firmly committed to the principles set forth in those three joint communique that forms the basis of our relationship. And based on the bedrock principle that there is but one China, we have found ways to address Taiwan constructively without rancor…And this trend, this new environment, is consistent with America's present and longstanding interest in a peaceful resolution of the differences by the Chinese themselves."
Bush toasted at the welcome banquet.
5. Bill Clinton – With the richest journey in China
Visiting time: June 25-July 3, 1998
Places: Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong
Bill Clinton visited five Chinese cities – Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong – in nine days. He paid visits to famous historical sites such as the Terracotta Warriors and the Place Museum, made a speech at Peking University, spoke to Shanghai citizens on the air via radio, and toured Guilin Lijiang River in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The New York Times reported that Clinton's delegation to China amounted to over 1,000 people, the largest group of all visiting U.S. presidents.
"The Great Wall here is very beautiful, very grand, more beautiful and grander than what I imagined...It was now a symbol which China used to welcome visitors, rather than to keep them out."
Clinton said while visiting the Great Wall.
6. George W. Bush – Visiting China most frequently
Visiting time: Oct. 18-20, 2001; Feb.21-22, 2002; Nov. 19-21, 2005; Aug. 7-11, 2008
Places: Shanghai, Beijing
George W. Bush, the son of George W.H. Bush and the 43rd U.S. President, made the most frequent trips to China.
He attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting in Shanghai in 2001 and paid two official visits in 2002 and 2005. In 2008, he attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and three other related activities.
"We see a China that is becoming one of the most dynamic and creative societies in the world… China is on a rising path, and America welcomes the emergence of a strong and peaceful and prosperous China."
Bush spoke at Tsinghua University in 2002.
7. Barack Obama – Most diverse forms of visiting
Visiting time: Nov. 15-18, 2009; Nov. 10-12, 2014; Sept. 3-5, 2016
Places: Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou
The most recent visit to China of a U.S. President is made by Barack Obama, the 44th U.S. President who stepped down from office at the beginning of this year.
His state visits were composed of both official events and also relaxing activities, making the interaction modes between the heads of the two nations more diverse. On the night of Nov. 11, 2014, President Xi Jinping and Obama, both dressed casually, had an informal meeting at Yingtai in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing after APEC meetings. On Sept. 3, 2016, during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, they took a stroll along the West Lake with a tea break.
"I brought back the admiration for the Chinese civilization, I bring here the greetings of American People."
Obama said when ascending a watchtower to enjoy a distant view at the Badaling section of the Great Wall.
While looking back on these stories of previous U.S. Presidents visiting China, we are also wondering what stories might come with the forthcoming President Trump.
