Dong left Beijing 11 years ago with her husband. Both are microbiologists, and they said they left for better opportunities in science. Even after being in the U.S. for so long, both expressed reluctance to talk about Chinese politics.

"I actually didn't like [life in China] before, but everything is getting better now," said Dong, as her husband repeatedly interrupted to urge her to "shut up."

"Now everyone seems very happy," she said.

"That's enough. We don't talk about political matters," her husband said, ending the interview.

Later, as he stood in the rain to watch Jiang's motorcade roll away, China native Willie Chwang said he had been "really impressed" by the President's speech.

"I didn't anticipate this kind of openness--he admitted that they had made mistakes in recent years and had tried very hard to correct them," said Chwang, father of Winston Chwang '01.

After the speech, first-year parent Haeju Kim said that she hoped Jiang's visit to the U.S. would "make the world a better place," but she faced the crush outside the Science Center with other things on her mind.

"Right now I'm just trying to find my kid," she said.