Anna Chennault: 'Steel butterfly' who charmed US and China

[TomSea]

Anna Chennault: 'Steel butterfly' who charmed US and China
By Tessa Wong BBC News


Image caption Mrs Chennault was a journalist in her early years in China

When Anna Chennault died last week at the age of 94, the world lost one of the most influential powerbrokers it had never heard of.

Also known by her Chinese name, Chen Xiangmei, she was a stylish fixture on Washington DC's political circuit - but also an unofficial diplomat who skilfully navigated the currents and eddies of 20th Century politics.

She met former US presidents John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon, and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger. She also met China's Deng Xiaoping and Taiwan's Chiang Kai-shek.

All were reportedly impressed by the woman dubbed by the Washington Post as the "legendary steel butterfly".

Read more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-43650637

[TomSea]

The article says that during the '68 election, she was caught telling the South Vietnamese to boycott the Paris peace talks to help Nixon's chances... and LBJ wanted to prosecute her, but Nixon won and nothing ever came of that.

A picture of her with President Reagan and President Kennedy at the link as well.  And some sort of honor given to her by President Xi of China too.