Generally speaking, science is about facts and figures - whereas art is about expressing oneself and communicating with others.

If there is such an art as making China understood by the rest of the world, Zhao Qizheng is undeniably a grand master.

And he started it all as a scientist - a nuclear physicist, for that matter.

So it has taken a nuclear scientist for many in China to come to terms with the art of persuasion in the international political arena. Zhao, the minister of the State Council Information Office (SCIO), has displayed an uncanny ability in art and science in presenting the most populous nation on the world stage, and as a result the world has an easier time appreciating what China has to offer.

No wonder he has been called "the greatest communicator from China" by some international media pundits.

This ability is abundantly manifest in the new book "Explaining China to the World."

A collection of speeches and conversations Zhao Qizheng made in his capacity as SCIO's helmsman, newly published by New World Press, it is a brilliant example of what cross-cultural communications should be, but sadly, not what they always are.

Zhao's words stand out for their wit, freshness and communicative power. As a government minister, naturally he represents the official stand on the issues he touches upon; however, he tends to keep official speak to the minimum.

Zhao does not talk like a cliche-laden bureaucrat, but more like a newsman, the profession served by his office. As Professor Li Xiguang of Tsinghua University has commented, Minister Zhao has the mindset of a media person. His attention to detail and his penchant for using vivid descriptions instead of platitudes are legendary.

For starters, a Zhao Qizheng speech rarely exceeds 30 minutes. He understands that people have a limited attention span. He does not treat his audience as some would their underlings, but values their time and their willingness to listen to him. "Whatever will benefit other countries' understanding of China, I'll do it," he said on one occasion.

A Zhao Qizheng speech always relates to the audience. In France, he mentioned the time Deng Xiaoping spent in Paris; and to South Koreans, he talked about how popular Korean pickles have become in China.

His conversations are rich in facts and figures, but they are not rendered abstract. Rather, they come alive with anecdotes and analogies.

Many occasions pushed Zhao perilously close to presenting a laundry list of high-sounding concepts or a condensed history of two countries' cultural and trade exchanges. But he sailed through with flying colours by highlighting the most interesting and illuminating details. In his address to the Washington Press Club, entitled "America and Americans in the Eyes of the Chinese", he started with the Chinese transliteration of "USA", went through the "peak" of WWII when Chinese poured out their gratitude towards Americans, to the "valley" of confrontation in the Korean War, touching on all raw nerves.

Zhao Qizheng does not shy away from sensitive topics such as human rights and press freedom. He always presents China's view, but tries to incorporate the context of Western ideology so that his messages can get across to the listener.

He starts by respecting the different views of others, and expects others to respect his. Fully aware that they may not end up accepting his beliefs, he usually succeeds in having them understand that the issues could be seen from a different standpoint.

"There are many reasons why Americans cannot understand China," he told US Ambassador Joseph W. Prueher in 2000. "A tropical person who has never been to the Antarctic would ask: 'Why are you guys wearing so much?' And likewise, someone living in the Poles would counter: 'Why are you wearing so little?'"

Making China understood to those who do not understand China involves a mix of techniques. Mostly, it requires frank and sincere communications accepting the discrepancies while at the same time underscoring the overlapping interests. Zhao took a WWII exhibition to the US in 2002-03, showcasing American pilots' sacrifice in helping Chinese people for the war efforts. During these trips, he mentioned a Texas soldier named James Fox, who, at the age of 23, joined the Flying Tigers and crashed in action. Fox did not have any surviving relatives, but still, Zhao's words moved members of the audience to tears.

Zhao Qizheng does not fear confrontation when the occasion calls for it. When the Cox Report came out in 1999, accusing China of stealing US nuclear technologies, Zhao held two press conferences, showing a long list of evidence that proved the absurdity of Cox's accusation. The press jumped at it when he demonstrated that what Cox called "secrets" was freely available on the web.

It helped a great deal that Zhao has a background as a nuclear scientist. It clearly showed that he understood those technical terms better than anyone in the room, and way better than Christopher Cox.

Editor: Wing