Speaking his language

The Road to Reform 1991-1997 has 112 speeches, articles, letters and instructions from his time as premier that Zhu selected himself from a total of 348 articles in the original Chinese version of the book. Most of the content has been published for the first time in English after years of sorting through his improvised speeches and other material.

"Revealing and recording a critical period of Chinese reform and development ... most of the book's content will be new to you," Zhu said in a video shown at the book's US launch.

The Chinese version was a sensational success when it was first published in 2011. The English version, has already attracted high praise from its target audience and some of Zhu's foreign friends.

"For scholars outside of China, the publication of this book is a significant contribution to the historical record," says Kissinger in the book's preface.

"Economists, business strategists, and policymakers will all find in these pages thought-provoking examples of how a penetrating mind grappled with one of the most significant reform programs in modern history," he adds.

Helmut Schmidt, former chancellor of Germany, says in his preface to the book that he first met Zhu in 1993, when Zhu was vice-premier and had become fully responsible for economic affairs.

"Although Zhu was educated as a technical engineer, his economic insight was remarkable, surpassing that of most other political leaders in the world I have met," Schmidt says.

He thinks the book is a highly informative collection that deserves widespread attention. "It is a unique historical document of China's unprecedented economic evolution over the past few decades," Schmidt says.

Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai says by offering a record of the past, the book will promote mutual understanding between the two countries.