A Letter From The Publisher, Feb. 12, 1979

For Correspondent Richard Bernstein, stationed for two years in TIME's Hong Kong bureau, reporting on Teng Hsiaop'ing and his travels across the U.S. (see NATION and PRESS) proved especially dramatic and exciting. "It was a high point for any reporter who has covered China in the past," says Bernstein. "There was an unreal quality in seeing that leader of a once bitter enemy receive a 19-gun salute on the White House lawn and be given a standing ovation by business and political leaders in Atlanta."

The task of covering Teng's visit was made difficult by the size of the press entourage: 1,200...