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Skriven 2005-11-20 23:33:10 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511209) for Sun, 2005 Nov 20
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President's Remarks to the Travel Pool in China
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 20, 2005

President's Remarks to the Travel Pool in China
St. Regis Hotel
Beijing, People's Republic of China


˙˙˙˙˙President's Visit to Asia

6:12 P.M. (Local)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. We started our day here going to a church
service that was really uplifting. I was -- I wasn't sure what to expect,
and I can tell you that the service was full of spirit, and the preacher
gave a really good sermon. She was -- I'm sure you made her nervous with
all the cameras and everything, but she was really good. And it was a
wonderful way to start the morning.

As I mentioned to the President, as well as to you all on the steps of the
church, a society that welcomes religion is a wholesome society, it's a
whole society. And I felt like the church service was a affirmation of my
strong belief that people should be able to worship freely, and I shared
that with President Hu.

I was also pleased with our talks with both President Hu and Premier Wen.
We have a complex relationship and it's a really important relationship. I
mean, China is a big, growing, strong country. And it's very important for
me to maintain a good working relationship with the leadership here. And
we've got that. And the reason that's important is that it enables me to
talk about the values that are important to America. It also enables me to
talk about the interests of our workers and farmers. China is a trading
partner, and we expect the trade with China to be fair. We expect our
people to be treated fairly here in this important country.

And so I had a chance to talk about a variety of subjects -- intellectual
property rights and the currency, access to our markets for U.S. beef. And
it was a good, frank discussion.

Finally, I had a bike ride. I'd like to clarify my comments. Compared to
Crawford, this trail is a great bike trail and really difficult. It is
clear that I couldn't make the Chinese Olympic cycling team. But I really
enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to ride with those six young Chinese
athletes. And I hope they enjoyed it, as well. It was a good experience.

There's also an important debate underway back in Washington about the way
forward in Iraq. I particularly want to discuss the position that Democrat
Congressman John Murtha announced this past week. Let me start off by
saying that Congressman Murtha is a fine man, a good man, who served our
country with honor and distinction as a Marine in Vietnam and as a United
States Congressman. He is a strong supporter of the United States military.
And I know the decision to call for an immediate withdrawal of our troops
by Congressman Murtha was done in a careful and thoughtful way.

I disagree with his position. An immediate withdrawal of our troops from
Iraq will only strengthen the terrorists' hand in Iraq, and in the broader
war on terror. That's the goal of the enemy. They want to break our will in
Iraq, so that we leave and they can turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was
under the Taliban, a safe haven for terror, a place where they can plot and
plan attacks against America and freedom-loving countries around the world.

Our military strategy is aimed at targeting the terrorists and training the
Iraqis. Iraq authorities have made clear they want us to help them. They
want us to help them defeat the terrorists, and they want us to train their
own security forces, which is what we're doing.

I also recognize that the Iraqi people look forward to the day when Iraqi
forces can secure their country and defend their freedom. It's only natural
that the Iraqi people look forward to the day when they're fully prepared
to defeat this enemy. I look forward to the day when the Iraqis are fully
prepared to do that.

And we're making good progress. More and more Iraqis are taking the fight
to the enemy, and day-by-day, they're assuming more responsibility for
their own security. And as the Iraqi security forces gain strength and
experience, we can lessen our troop presence in the country without losing
our capability to effectively defeat the terrorists. A reduced presence of
coalition forces will clearly demonstrate to the Iraqi people that we have
no ambitions to occupy their country. As I've often said, we'll stay as
long as necessary, but not one day more.

Yet, leaving prematurely will have terrible consequences, for our own
security and for the Iraqi people. And that's not going to happen so long
as I'm the President.

This is a debate worthy of our country; it's an important debate. It does
not have to be a partisan issue. Fine Democrats like Senator Joe Lieberman
share the view that we must prevail in Iraq. Bipartisan majorities in the
House and the Senate rejected calls for immediate withdrawal. My decisions
in Iraq will continue to be guided by the sober judgment of the military
commanders on the ground in Iraq. Those elected leaders in Washington who
do not support our policies in Iraq have every right to voice their
dissent. They also have a responsibility to provide a credible alternative.
The stakes are too high, and the national interest too important, for
anything otherwise.

Now I'll be glad to answer some questions, starting with Jennifer.

Q Thank you, sir. Can you talk about why you have chosen to talk more about
the need for greater religious freedoms in China, than the need for greater
political freedom?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, they go hand-in-hand. A society which recognizes
religious freedom is a society which will recognize political freedoms, as
well. China has undergone an amazing transformation in its economy. It's a
much freer economy than any time in its past. And as a result, the people
are becoming more prosperous. I've always believed that a free economy will
yield a freer political system.

I think about South Korea. South Korea opened its economy up and then
political reforms followed. And part of a system which recognizes the right
of people to express themselves is a system which also recognizes the right
of people to worship freely. And in my discussions with the leadership in
China, of course, I talked about both, political and religious freedom.

Caren.

Q Do you feel that you got the commitments that you sought from President
Hu on issues like currency reform and trade? And also, are you concerned
about a crackdown reported on Chinese dissidents ahead of your visit?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm always concerned about somebody who is trying to express
themselves in the public square, express their opinion, being cracked down
by a state. And it's -- again, in my discussions with President Hu, I
talked about a variety of concerns, one, that the NGOs here in China ought
to be treated fairly; secondly, that we have given the Chinese government a
list of dissidents that we believe are improperly imprisoned.

I talked about the Dalai Lama. I thought it would be wise for the Chinese
government to invite the Dalai Lama so he can tell them exactly what he
told me in the White House the other day, that he has no desire for an
independent Tibet. I talked about the Catholic Church, the need for this
government to invite leaders from the Vatican to come and discuss religious
freedoms in China. So we discussed a lot of areas of concern about the
condition of the dissidents and people who want to express themselves.

In terms of the currency, this government made a decision last July to
reform their currency. It was a structural reform, and I applaud that. I
also reminded the leaders that we've seen some movement, but not much, in
the currency valuation. And I explained to them as clearly as I could that
the value of the Chinese currency is very important for manufacturers and
farmers and workers in the United States.

In terms of intellectual property rights, that's been a concern that many
have expressed to me in our country, and wanted me to express to the
leadership in China. And I made it clear that if you've got a vibrant
economy, and people feel uncomfortable about the piracy of product, that
it's going to affect the economy in the long run. And they recognize that.
As a matter of fact, Premier Wen went through a list of crackdowns this
government has taken on intellectual property rights.

I talked about market access, the need to make sure that we've got access
to Chinese markets like they've got to ours. And that's a very important
subject in America, as you know, and it's one that I relayed to both
President Hu and Premier Wen. I applauded the fact that through hard work,
that we came up with a good textile agreement, which was important. I was
pleased to see that the Chinese government ordered Boeing aircraft.

The relationship, however, is one that it's got to be close enough that we
can -- need to consistently remind our Chinese friends that structural
reform is really what the United States government is talking about with
China.

Let's see -- Bill Roberts.

Q Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q It used to be that it was said that politics stopped at the water's edge.
On this trip, clearly, the debate over Iraq has followed you. Were you at
all disappointed by that? And why do you think it is that the Iraq debate
in the last week has been so intense?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm not surprised that people are talking about Iraq.
Iraq is a vital issue for the United States of America. And it's -- we're
at war, and people, of course, have got strong opinions about war. On the
trip here, by the way, I was most pleased that many of the leaders at the
APEC conference understood the stakes in Iraq, that a democracy in the
heart of the Middle East will make the entire world more peaceful.

It's -- this is a worthy debate, and I'm going to repeat something I've
said before. People should feel comfortable about expressing their opinions
about Iraq. I heard somebody say, well, maybe so-and-so is not patriotic
because they disagree with my position. I totally reject that thought. This
is not an issue of who's patriot and who's not patriotic. It's an issue of
an honest, open debate about the way forward in Iraq.

I am confident we will succeed in Iraq. I'm confident that the Iraqi forces
will be trained; I am confident the political process will slowly, but
surely, marginalize those that are trying to stop the march of democracy.
And I also know that we have got to make sure that Iraq does not become a
safe haven for terrorists. It's very important for -- during this debate to
listen to the words of Zawahiri, who's the number-two man of al Qaeda,
where he has made it very clear that his intention, and the intention of
his henchman, Zarqawi, is to drive us out of Iraq before we have completed
the mission.

And there's a reason why he wants us out of Iraq; because he wants Iraq to
be a safe haven. He wants to be able to find a place where he and his
forces can plot and plan against the United States of America. They were --
the al Qaeda, the enemy was able to do just that in Afghanistan. They
plotted and planned a monstrous attack on the United States of America. And
that attack of September the 11th is a lesson we should never forget.

Secondly, a democracy in Iraq is going to send a clear example of what is
possible to other reformers in the region. There are people in Iran that
are interested in freedom. And when Iraq succeeds, the people in Iran will
see what is possible; that it's possible to have a government that actually
listens to the people and responds to the needs of the people. A free Iraq
will send a clear example to the Palestinians of what is possible in the
Middle East. I believe there will be a Palestinian state that is democratic
in nature and at peace with its neighbor, Israel. Lebanon is an example of
a society which is shedding itself of a -- of its neighbor, Syria, and it's
strengthening its democracy.

You know, it's interesting here in the Far East that we have this
discussion about Iraq, and it's an appropriate place to think about the
stakes in Iraq, because, after all, Japan was our sworn enemy. And after
World War II, the Japanese adopted a Japanese-style democracy, which
yielded a peaceful partner, an ally. It's amazing to think that in 60 years
Japan has gone from enemy to ally in keeping the peace. The spread of
democracies here in the Far East have made this part of the world a
peaceful region.

And so the stakes are enormously high in Iraq, and I can understand why
there's a debate. And I suspect there's going to be a debate for a long
time coming in Iraq, as there should be. This is a serious matter of
national concern.

Let's see -- Suzanne.

Q If I could follow up on your comments on Congressman Murtha. You said
that he was a fine man and that he probably made this in a thoughtful
manner. Congressman Murtha has also used the fact that neither you, nor the
Vice President has served in combat as part of his criticism of Iraq
policy, as well as the administration's campaign to defend it. Do you
believe that that is relevant to the debate? And is there any concern that
the attacks on either side are becoming overly personal?

THE PRESIDENT: I don't think the Vice President's service is relevant in
this debate. And I would hope all of us in this debate talk about the
policy and have an honest, open debate about whether or not it makes sense
to immediately withdraw our troops. My position is very clear: It does not
make sense. It will make America less secure. Iraq is a battlefront in the
war on terror, and it's vital that we succeed in this particular battle in
the war on terror.

And our strategy is proceeding. There's a political strategy, and as I said
the other day, I said a couple of times, the progress in Iraq is amazing
when you think -- the political progress. I mean, they've gone from tyranny
to the election of a transitional national government, to the ratification
of a constitution. And they're about to have elections again. And all this
took place in two-and-a-half years. When you compare it to our own history,
our road was quite bumpy getting to a constitution. And so the progress is
strong.

The other progress that's being made is the training of the Iraqi forces.
And more and more of the forces are more capable of taking the fight to the
enemy. And as that happens, and as our commanders on the ground inform me
that Iraq's security can be maintained by Iraqi troops, we will adjust
accordingly.

Let's see -- Mike.

Q Thank you very much, Mr. President. If I might follow up Jennifer's
question. When you expressed to President Hu the importance of people being
able to worship freely, did he express any interest in helping people of
various faiths do that? Did he make any commitment to you for improvements?
And, Mr. President, how repressed or restricted do you believe Christians
are right now in this country?

THE PRESIDENT: It's a really interesting question. You know, Dr. Luis Palau
was with me, and we spent time in the limousine on the way to the church
talking about his views of Christianity here in China. He believes there
are about a hundred million Christians, and that they are -- they're
worshiping in a way that is able to call upon the Almighty to help them
through their lives. And that's the spirit I found in the church.

President Hu is a thoughtful fellow. He listened to what I had to say. And
I thought it was very interesting in his comments that he talked about
human rights. Those who watch China closely would say that maybe a decade
ago a leader wouldn't have uttered those comments. He talked about
democracy. And so to answer your question, he took it on board in a very
thoughtful manner.

Herman, last question.

Q Respectfully, sir -- and you know we're always respectful -- (laughter)
--

THE PRESIDENT: Most of the time.

Q -- in your statement this morning with President Hu, you seemed a little
off your game. You seemed to hurry through your statement and there was a
lack of enthusiasm --

THE PRESIDENT: When? Here, right now?

Q No, this morning, with President Hu. Was something bothering you? Were
you tired?

THE PRESIDENT: Have you ever heard of jet lag?

Q Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, good. That answers your question.

Q There was nothing he said, I mean in the meeting?

THE PRESIDENT: No, not at all. Listen, the relationship with China is a
good, vibrant, strong relationship. And we have frank discussions, and
that's what you want at my level of government. You want to be able to sit
down with somebody, and say, look, here are my concerns.

I always say that the relationship between America and China is an
important relationship. This is a booming economy. This is a -- China is a
big presence in Asia. And it's very vital for the United States to have a
relationship where I can sit down and say, look, the trade -- the trade
policy must take into consideration your currency, must take into
consideration our desire to sell you beef, must take into consideration
intellectual property rights. And I can do that in such a way that he
doesn't say, I'm tired of listening to you. It's a -- it's an important
relationship.

We have -- we're working together with North Korea. The leader in North
Korea has -- must abandon his nuclear weapons programs in a verifiable
fashion. The Chinese understand that and have accepted that position. The
fact that China and the United States can work on this issue as equal
partners is important for the stability of this region and the world.

In other words, my point to you is, is that we've got a very vibrant
relationship. I don't know what I sounded like during my discussion. As you
know, I don't spend a lot of time analyzing myself, and obviously, you do.
But --

Q We have a lot of time on our hands, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, you do. (Laughter.) But I am pleased that I am in a --
I am in a position to be able to explain to President Hu, as clearly as I
can, my concerns and my appreciation for different aspects of our
relationship.

Thank you all, very much.

END 6:34 P.M. (Local)

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