The author of a book on how American presidents from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton have dealt with the government of the People's Republic of China will speak at Wayne State University at noon Monday, April 12, in the McGregor Memorial Conference Center.

Los Angeles Times foreign affairs columnist Jim Mann will discuss negotiating strategies the two sides have used and the current state of relations between the countries. Currently assigned to the Times' Washington bureau, Mann previously covered the U.S. Department of State as an Asian affairs reporter for seven years and headed the newspaper's Beijing bureau for three years.

He also has worked for the Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Enquirer and the Washington Post. His latest book is titled About Face: A Modern History of America's Curious Relationship with China. An earlier book on China is titled Beijing Jeep: The Short, Unhappy Romance of American Business in China.

The program is sponsored by WSU's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies and the Detroit Council for World Affairs. Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are necessary. A choice of cold-plate lunches is available with a $10 advance payment. For more information and reservations, call the center at (313) 577-3453.