I  feel  very  lucky to have had Zhao Renwei as a friend for over a quarter century.  Lao Zhao has taught me much about China and the way China’s economy works.  He has also been a shining example of integrity.  When he led the Economics Institute of CASS his fundamental goal was to create the conditions in which high quality research could be done and in which the research staff could devote their energies to such work, and he was adamant in pursuing that goal under difficult conditions.  His leadership has resulted in many valuable publications, some of which I have contributed to, that describe  and analyze  the distribution of income in China more thoroughly and comprehensively than any other work of which I am aware.  He reached out to a community of scholars at home and abroad to help with this work, and used the project as a means of educating young Chinese scholars in survey techniques and basic econometrics while helping to improve foreign scholars’ understanding of China.   For me, personally, the China Household Income Project has been a highpoint of my career because of the intrinsic importance of the work, the thrill of discovery that it provided, and the joy of working with such a talented team.  I will always be grateful to you, Lao Zhao, for inviting me onto that team! 

Having traded stories  and jokes  with Lao Zhao for so long, I have come to relish his puckish sense of humor as well as his gracious hospitality.  A trip to Beijing is never complete for me without a dinner with him and Li Shi, always involving good food, fresh insights for me to think about, and the pleasure of catching up with old friends.  So please raise a glass on my behalf to Zhao Renwei at 80, and to many more years of wisdom and good health!

Carl Riskin李思勤

New York

10 December 2013