See China's countryside, outgoing US envoy Gary Locke tells Max Baucus

Outgoing US ambassador Gary Locke urged his successor, Max Baucus, to visit every corner of China, especially small villages in remote areas, to really understand what is happening in the country.

"My sincere advice to him is to visit various places in China - as many as he can - and understand local customs and practices," Locke told Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan in what could be his last interview as envoy. "Beijing is not China and big cities can't be representative of China."

Locke has travelled extensively on the mainland during his tenure, including trips to Chongqing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Tibet and Xinjiang, where he talked with local officials and residents.

The interview was published in the Chinese edition of , which featured Locke on the cover, smiling and looking trim in a tight, black T-shirt and dark jeans.

The ambassador shared some health tips, saying he drank tea, ate a healthy diet and got regular exercise outdoors. However, he said he was not much of a jogger and had only gone running a few times while in Beijing.

Lin marvelled at Locke's ability to maintain an abdominal plank position for 51 minutes, which was nevertheless far short of the world record of three hours and seven minutes. "I also did the same test but could only last about three minutes," Lin said.