2000

During his 2000 visit to America, Zhao Qizhen reassured his American audiences of Chinese confidence and their friendship with American people. He paid homage to the contributions made by Mark Twain and his fellow writers in promoting the understanding between two peoples : "Yes, through so many translations, the Chinese readers heard Jack London's Call of the wild, William Faulkner's Sound and fury, Hemingway's 'Bells' – although he did not know For whom the bell tolls. We also heard the leadsman's shout along the Mississippi river 'Two fathoms or Mark Twain'. This pen name of Mark Twain has become a household word in China. Chinese readers have found the American people optimistic, strong, and practical.”