The New York Times has an AP report saying that China's Minister of Commerce gave outgoing US Secretary of Commerce a 70% grade for his work over the last four years.

The pointed comments came as Evans, who is due to leave office shortly, began a three-day visit aimed at pressing China to do more to stop rampant product piracy.

"Judging from the view of friends and judging from the achievements of your work, I should say that 70 percent of what you have done has been pretty good,'' said Commerce Minister Bo Xilai...

...Later, Evans told The Associated Press that Bo meant the comment as praise.

"You know, his answer to me was that Deng Xiaoping only gave himself a grade of 70 percent, so he said he was complimenting me on a job well done,'' Evans said.

Perhaps AP reporters don't read much history; the article does not mention the famous formula for evaluating Mao Zedong: 70% right, 30% wrong. Nor does the piece say anything about Bo Xilai, former mayor of Dalian and one of the most admired of the current crop of leaders.

The AP story is on the New York Times website here.