He was the one Chinese official who befriended the Bush entourage. In the 23 years since then, Yang has risen through the ranks of the Chinese government. He served as the interpreter for Deng when President Reagan visited China in 1984. And in the summer of 1992, when China discovered that Bush was about to open the way for Taiwan to buy F-16 warplanes, Beijing sent Yang to talk with the president. Usually, dignitaries deliver their messages in the West Wing.
Personal ties go only so far.
Despite Bush's secret 1989 message through Untermeyer to Yang, China didn't allow the dissident to leave the country for several more months. The signals already are flashing back and forth between China and the incoming Bush administration. Don't jump to conclusions yet about what will happen between China and the Bush administration. And keep an eye on the Tiger. You will not be charged to look for stories, only to retrieve one.