A Brief History of U.S. Presidents in China

George W. Bush, 2005
During a tour across Asia, George W. Bush made a one-day stop in Beijing to a cordial but tense reception. A few days earlier he had remarked that China's leaders would soon discover that "once the door to freedom is open even a crack, it cannot be closed." Bush used his time in China to meet with President Hu Jintao, after which he acquiesced to a press conference about his trip. The President answered just six questions — blaming jet leg for his "lack of enthusiasm" — then strode away from the lectern toward the door. After jiggling both handles, Bush discovered that it was locked. Apparently not everything in China was as open as it seemed.

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