Wall Street Journal conducts rare interview with Chinese president

The Wall Street Journal performed a rare interview with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who rarely speaks to foreign media. It also represents his first interview since China's stock market crashed in June.

In the interview, Xi defended his government’s economic stewardship and said that China’s slowing growth and market fluctuations won’t deter needed reforms. The interview was conducted yesterday on the eve of his of his first official U.S. visit that starts in Seattle today.

Xi said the government's intervention in the stock market crash was necessary to  “defuse systemic risks" and was similar to acts taken by governments in “some mature foreign markets." He also urged foreign investors to take a longer view at the situation, comparing the world's second-largest economy to a vessel in rough seas.

“Any ship, however large, may occasionally get unstable sailing on the high sea,” he said.

According to CNNMoney, the interview may not be widely read back home. The English and Chinese editions of the Wall Street Journal's website or currently blocked in China.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal.