Jiang Zemin

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PRESIDENT OF CHINA, GENERAL SECRETARY OF COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA, CHAIRMAN OF CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION
BORN Aug. 17, 1926, in Jiangsu province, China
EDUCATION Electrical Engineering degree, Jiaotong University, Shanghai; speaks English, Russian
FAMILY Married to Wang Yeping; two sons
POWER POINTS Not returning the U.S. president's phone calls - that's power. Jiang at first snubbed Clinton when he wanted to apologize for the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. He now must repair damaged relations. Trade and steady economic growth remain crucial to China's internal stability and fundamental to Jiang's vision of a modern, progressive mainland.

Kim Jong II

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SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORKERS' PARTY OF KOREA
BORN Feb. 16, 1942, in a "secret camp" in Mt. Paektu
EDUCATION Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang
FAMILY Married; three daughters, one son
POWER POINTS His heavily armed hermit country keeps neighbors on edge with missile launches and spy subs. But the enigmatic Kim is easing his socialist system of juche (self-reliance). Limited visits by South Koreans have been allowed. An embryonic market system and commercial projects with the South offer hope of engagement.

Lee Teng-hui

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PRESIDENT OF TAIWAN
BORN Jan. 15, 1923, in Sanchih, Taipei county
EDUCATION Kyoto Imperial University (Japan), National Taiwan University; Iowa State, Cornell universities (U.S.)
FAMILY Married to Tseng Wen-fui; two daughters, one son (deceased)
POWER POINTS Barred from re-election in 2000, Taiwan's popular autocrat is not going gently. Lee is bamboo under the fingernails of China, which wants economic powerhouse Taiwan back. The island's inclusion in a U.S.-proposed missile defense network bugged Beijing. Now Lee has published a book in which he suggests the mainland carve itself up into seven semi-autonomous blocs to develop faster. China won't like it.

Goh Chok Tong

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PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE
BORN May 20, 1941, in Singapore
EDUCATION University of Singapore, BA, economics; Williams College (U.S.), MA, economics
FAMILY Married to Tan Choo Leng; twin son and daughter
QUOTE "The crawl back will be slow and painful. The bottom is concrete, not a trampoline."
POWER POINTS Under Goh, Singapore adapted quickly to turmoil, cutting costs and seeking competitive advantage in a changed economic landscape. His confidence as a regional statesman is growing. He alone publicly chided ASEAN for "being seen as helpless and worse" during the Crisis.

Chuan Leekpai

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PRIME MINISTER AND DEFENSE MINISTER OF THAILAND
BORN July 28, 1938, in Trang, Southern Thailand
EDUCATION Law degree from Thammasat University, Bangkok
HOBBIES Sketching
FAMILY Common-law wife Pakdiporn Sucharitkul; one son
E-MAIL spokesman@mozart.inet.co.th
POWER POINTS After his first term as PM ended during a 1995 land scandal, Chuan recaptured the premiership two years ago as the economy disintegrated. Since then he has skillfully negotiated with the IMF and special interest groups to put the country on the recovery path. Under his governance Thailand has passed landmark political and economic reform laws. The leader of the dominant Democrat Party, Chuan is expected to win a third term later this year - becoming the longest-serving elected civilian in modern Thai history.


Yanagisawa Hakuo

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MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL RECONSTRUCTION, JAPAN
BORN Aug. l935 in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
EDUCATION Tokyo University, Law Department
FAMILY Married; two daughters
E-MAIL kisa-ishii@frc.fsa.go.jp
QUOTE "I am not tough at all."
POWER POINTS Charged with shaping up bloated banks, he can close any institution that does not measure up - as two have discovered. The Diet member and former Finance Ministry bureaucrat has proven to be no yes-man. He surprised many by unblocking Japan's restructuring logjam.

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