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MormonTimes.com: Mormon paid visit by president of China

What an awesome story that he has to tell his children & grandchildren.

I do not see the need to have met President Hu Jintao in the 1st place. I did not see any of God in China during any of the games. I do not care if their is some sort of underground religion or not. I am sure their a Muslim or even Taliban Strong Holds also, ready to spring forth at the first sign of an Opportunity. All Religion is repressive to some degree. Those of us of faith accept that and subject ourselves to it, sometimes joyfully.

China on their Internet is both going to Ban Prone and Religion. The two extreme end of the pendulum.
Because He is a Head Of State it would be a life memory.

While local krags whine about Mormons in their midst, kings and presidents of nations take notice of the good they see in this peculiar faction.

So? did the guy do any good by talking with the President of China? Did he mention that putting christians in jails is not good?

doubt it.

Let's just call it like it is...China is the most repressive regime in the world. We as a country feel this intense need to "trade" with them because they are "such a large market!". We do this and we constantly hear that it is better to "be engaged" with China than to be "at odds with them". That has been the mantra for what, about 40 years now? What has changed, really, in China? Oh yea, the state run industries supply everything to Walmart now. I forgot about that. Human rights? Nope, nothing is any better there. I would not even talk to this guy. The LDS church can choose to, but I would not.

To Catering to the Enemy: The LDS Church did not talk to 'this guy' (I presume you meant the President of China and not the returned missionary). A foreign Chinese-speaking man, who happened to learn the language in order to serve an LDS mission there, did! That is unusual in and of itself. Chinese is an extremely difficult language to learn, and few Americans or Europeans can speak it fluently, or even enough to be understood.

By the way, Taiwan is not part of the Chinese government, they are an independent country which China is continuing to try and get back! They got Hong Kong back after a 99 year land lease expired, but with almost 100 years of European and American influence, the people there are hardly likely to sink back into the communist regime. Hong Kong is too important as a world-wide commerce and financial center.

Once again an article that has nothing to do with religion. Yet the Dnews puts their little spin on it, to make is sound like the Chinese President sought out a mormon to speak to. President Hu Jintao paid a visit to the Peking University-Yale University Joint Undergraduate Program in Beijing. Austin Miller happens to be a foreign student in that program that speaks Chinese, that's why he was chosen. Not becuase he was mormon. Perhaps a better title would be "Chinese speaking, American student meets with Chinese President".

C'mon guys! Let's be grateful for every good thing that happens. The gov't of China is repressive, but it is starting to open up a bit. The people themselves are good people and in time things will be better. This young man is being a good example, while following the rules of China. I think that's wonderful. There are 4 times as many Chinese as there are Americans so it would be good if we could see them as people and not just as communists. Hopefully one day we can become friends and allies again.

Hey Catering... that guy does not represent the LDS Church just because he went on a mission.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Is it so difficult to understand that speaking with someone is at least a beginning to co-operation and possible change. It seems to me that there are a lot of people who expect to just speak and have everyone else listen. Get this, they don't care who you are and what you have to say until you show them that you care about them!

Is it so difficult to understand that what this guy did was a good thing. It seems that there are some people who think that when they speak we should all sit up and listen. Heads up - no one cares who you are or what you have to say until you show them that you have an interest in them! I say good for him.

This kind of thing is great for public relations between the 2 countries and hopefully we'll see more opening up of China in the coming years. This article is also a good example of how LDS missionaries can help improve relations between countries around the world by learning other cultures and languages fluently and in learning to love and understand the people of other countries. This kind of attitude is the world's best hope for peace - not only LDS missionaries but all people who learn to love and respect the people of other nations. Yes, China still has a long ways to go as far as freedom and human rights, but this kind of thing is the best way to help that along. You can't force it - it has to come by a gradual change in attitude of the people and their leaders over time, as mutual trust and respect build over time.

The Lord admonishes us to "Renounce war, proclaim peace." In a world filled with so much war, what a wonderful opportunity for this student to be a light of peace before China's president. China is a great country and moving into the light as it liberalizes its social and economic policies. It needs our support.

How many of you have actually been to China lately? Yes, they still have MANY warts, but I can tell you from experience that the light of freedom is shining in the eyes of the Chinese people. It is 1000% better now for the Chinese than even 10 years ago. And it will continue to improve. LDS congregations are now legal in Beijing. LDS missionaries can now leave China to serve missions. (Just ask Sister Chen, now serving at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors Center) Chinese college students studying abroad are flocking to the Church. And now, due to a new law change, family members of these LDS students can now be legally baptized in China. Mao's infamous Cultural Revolution is whole-heartedly denounced by current Chinese leaders, religion is on the upswing, and the LDS Church is on the verge of official recognition. You just watch what happens in the next 20 years. It will be amazing to behold

Perhaps the commenters are unaware that Governor Huntsman speaks Chinese because HE was a missionary in Taiwan; that it led him into becoming a US Trade Representative and US Ambassador to Singapore; and that Huntsman has met with the Chinese president in his official capacities, most recently as governor of Utah leading a trade delegation.

Anyone familiar with Chinese history knows that the ability of Chinese to communicate with Americans is now much greater than it was under Mao, and that, while the people's ability to have any say in their government is still restricted, their personal and economic freedom is infinitely greater. Part of the reason for that is that the Chinese government saw how prosperous Taiwan and Hong Kong were and realized that communism had failed to give China the wealth, power and prestige they felt it deserved.

There are reliable estimates that the number of Chinese Christians is now over 100 million people. That is almost the population of Japan, which has only 1 million Christians, about 10% LDS. The real threshold of freedom in China will be when LDS and other missionaries are allowed to communicate with those people. Imagine a million Chinese Mormons.

Ummm, this guy was picked becuase he was foreign and could speak the language. The fact that he's Mormon only makes it more interesting. Personally I would be scared to death to meet with their president as freedom of speech is not protected over there.

I have been blessed to know a number of businessmen who are involved in building strong business realtionships with Chinese manufacturing concerns and who also happen to be like this young man. Through their missions and the interests and skills they developed while serving, they are now frontline witnesses of Christ to all they come in contact with while living and working in China. They cannot openly prosilitize, but they can and do exemplify the teachings of Christ in all their dealings. It is about softening hearts and opening minds and bringing them to remembrance of truths. It is not catering to the enemy. It is being a missionary to friends and neighbors who happen to live in different lands. Aren't we encouraged to reach out to our neighbors and take advantage of opportunities to share the love of Christ? That is exactly what this young man was able to do.

I would not have met with him out of protest. It's embarrassing to the church that this kid would meet with "president" of China, a country that does not have free speech, kills people who voice opposition, and still harvests peoples kidneys to trade on the black market. Yeah right, the "light of freedom can been seen at the end of the tunnel!"

Lots of Mormon bigotry on display here. Why do people think that the Mormon church stands for bigotry? Maybe they read these blogs.

Hu Jintau seems less of a bigot. You can be sure he knew this guy to be LDS - that's what goes on in backgrounding briefings for politicians - but he met with the guy anyhow.

The more Mormons of goodwill Hu Jintau meets, the better for the world, I say.

Please keep him away from the above whining bigots whose posts don't add to the momentum of good will.