China-US expert expresses optimism about prospects for future relationship

John Milligan-Whyte, chairman of the Center for America-China Partnership in New York, was dubbed by some Chinese media as the "new Edgar Snow" and the "21st century Kissinger" due to the positive role he played in boosting the relationship between China and the United States.

His sentimental connections with China largely come from his wife, Dai Min, who grew up in Changsha, Hunan province, and left China in 1988 to study abroad. Milligan-Whyte met Dai in 1997 at a restaurant in New York and proposed to her the very next day.

"Dai Min is an irresistible woman. I was normally shy at that time, but I went over, introduced myself and bought some tea for her," the 66-year-old said with a wide smile. The courtship, however, wasn't so easy and they didn't actually marry until seven years later. Then, Milligan-Whyte began to meet the Chinese people in all walks of life.