ZHAO Zhongxiang, 62, began work on China's Central Television network in 1960 as a news anchor, at a time when few households in China had a television set.

He achieved national fame when he visited the White House in 1979 to interview then-US President Jimmy Carter as a member of the delegation accompanying former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The visit made him the first journalist in the history of the People's Republic of China to enter the White House and interview a US president.

In 1985, he became China's first TV entertainment show host. His distinctive voice has long been familiar to Chinese audiences. His programmes, such as "Animal World" and "Humans and Nature," have gained wide popularity.

He is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and an instructor to other anchors at CCTV. (Star News)