From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 3, December 2001.

Zhu Xinmin, the Vice President, and Chief of Administration and Management, of the People’s Daily, China’s biggest daily newspaper was in Tonga for the official launching on December 22 of the $5 million renovation project to upgrade the Janfull International Dateline Hotel to a four stars standard.

Janfull hotel chain is owned by the People’s Daily, The masthead of the paper which has a circulation of three million, was hand written in Chinese by the Chairman Mao Zedung and, ironically, today is said to be the most successful commercial entity set up by the Chinese government for investment in commercial ventures.

It was not Zhu’s first visit to Tonga but it was the first time for him to meet members of the Tongan media.