Ling Chi sat quietly at a corner of the conference room provided for Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's federation of women.

With her grey hair cut short, Ling touted little of her rebellious past with her muted garments and mild demeanor. Yet the formidable CPPCC?member is the daughter of the late marshal Ye Jianying, who was among the 10 Chinese marshals who succeeded in revolting against the infamous "Gang of Four" to end the Cultural Revolution and paving the way for China's ensuing reform and opening up.

Ling also directed one of China's earliest controversial films, "Savage Land," whose theatrical release in 1988 was delayed for seven years for having nude scenes.

Facing the media, however, Ling's decisive and critical nature seeped through. She said after the federation's group discussion Monday that the country's indigenous culture should be preserved for good, while revealing her abhorrence to U.S.'s "invasive culture."

"The reason that China persisted for 5,000 years is that it has a culture that distinguished itself from other civilizations," Ling, vice director of the International Confucian Association, said. "We hold a multilateral outlook and respect cultures that are different from us. We are friendly toward them and share interests with them."

Ling said harmony is the ultimate goal in Chinese culture, which is evident in the naming of the first array of the halls in the Palace Museum: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

"History has taught enough lessons about the extinction of the super powers," Ling said. "They paid the prices for their relentless aggressions."

She became critical as she discussed the U.S.'s foreign policies. "[The U.S.] has interfered too much with others' issues, which are all their internal affairs," Ling said. "Why do you bother so much to participate and impose your values on others? It's like two brothers fight while a third outsider joins in."

She also said that the interventionism may possibly drain the world's top super power and trap it in muddy mire. She called on China to be particularly cautious when its people are absorbing the cultures from the U.S.

"Most of the wars they have fought were for their own interests. We should not follow suit. Instead, we should learn our language and understand our own culture," she said.

Having been imprisoned for four years during the Cultural Revolution, Ling changed her name from Ye Xiangzhen to avoid controversies surrounding her father.