十年阅读思考，七年田野考察，二十万字汇聚本书。 作者于2005年下半年开始筹划，并开始了第一篇文字的撰写，此后的7年多时间里，作为一个政经记者，一直用脚步和自己的思考，发现和记录着身边的中国故事，可谓是一部中国的政经记者用自己的文字所“拍摄”的一部关于真实中国的纪录片。 本书以作者的亲身经历和思考，从“乡土中国”“城市中国”“城市化中国”“域外中国”等四个层面，来发现和讲述一个政经记者眼中的“真实中国”。试图通过对一个个真实中国的切片的近距离观察，在完成对基层中国故事化记录的同时，寻找到那些鲜活的原生态的制度变迁的印迹，以此来丰富对于宏观层面的国家转型命题的探讨。 用作者的话说，“这是一本写给所有身在城市却依然充满乡愁的‘城客’们的书，不过，这里关注城市的角度、层面，不是日常生活的柴米油盐、家长里短，也不是专业的城市规划和系统的城市治理理论层面，而是从将城市作为当下中国最具代表性的公共和制度性议题之一的角度出发，对城市本身和城市中国的关注”。

Zhu Rongji, the Premier of China from 1998 to 2003, the unswerving economic reformer who helped to tame rampant inflation and put China firmly on the path to international economic integration, became a respected and popular figure among world business leaders, heads of state, diplomats, and particularly among progressive reformers within China. Zhu Rongji Meets the Press --a collection of the Premier's talks and interviews with reporters from around the globe--is the first book to offer such a comprehensive and front-row view of Zhu's conduct of China's foreign and economic policy Comprised of four parts, the book of talks by Zhu, presented within, collectively give a picture of the history of Zhu's tenure; of the many internal and external challenges faced by China more broadly at the time; and of Zhu the man and his vision for China in the age of global financial interdependence. It also includes interviews with Zhu from earlier periods (1993 to 1997, in his capacities as Vice Premier of the State Council, as well as Governor of the People's Bank of China). The book also includes a foreword by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, an interview with Zhu specifically for this book, and a general introduction by the editors. For a man known to speak frequently off-script, this set of records of Zhu's talks--explaining everything from China's program of reforming state industry and transforming the financial system, and its approach to joining the World Trade Organization, to its response to the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in May of 1999--will make a significant contribution to understanding China with Zhu at the policy helm. In a nation where biographies and particularly autobiographies of high-level officials are hard to come by (and tend to be posthumous, as in the recently published journals of Zhao Ziyang), these on-the-record talks and exchanges can be an important, alternative means of accessing the character of a leader. Collectively, they give a good picture of Zhu in action--sparring and joking with journalists, stating and explaining China's official fixed positions on important policy matters, while suggesting China's flexibility and openness in others. His encounters and joint talks with such world figures as former President Bill Clinton, Peter Kann, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, journalists such as Jim Lehrer of PBS, and a broad array of foreign journalists, economists and industry leaders, are faithfully recorded here. While Western readers will have read some articles in English resulting from some of the foreign media briefings included here, the talks in this book are translated from the original Chinese transcripts made by Zhu's office of his Chinese comments at briefings and interviews (without the third-party lens of the simultaneous translator). This will give readers a "you were there" feel to the dialogues, as well as a closer and truer reflection of the words spoken by the Premier. This book of talks by, and with the man who was called "China's economic tsar" is a valuable historic record for China scholars and researchers, and a compelling historic read for those who closely follow Chinese leadership, politics and economic reform and development.