Text 2518, 205 rader
Skriven 2006-04-20 23:33:10 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060420) for Thu, 2006 Apr 20
===================================================
===========================================================================
President Bush and President Hu of People's Republic of China Participate
in Arrival Ceremony
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 20, 2006

President Bush and President Hu of People's Republic of China Participate
in Arrival Ceremony
The South Lawn

President's Remarks view

ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Global Diplomacy

9:44 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Laura and I are pleased to welcome President
Hu Jintao and his wife, Madame Liu, to the White House. (Applause.)

The United States and China are two nations divided by a vast ocean -- yet
connected through a global economy that has created opportunity for both
our peoples. The United States welcomes the emergence of a China that is
peaceful and prosperous, and that supports international institutions. As
stakeholders in the international system, our two nations share many
strategic interests. President Hu and I will discuss how to advance those
interests, and how China and the United States can cooperate responsibly
with other nations to address common challenges.

Our two nations share an interest in expanding free and fair trade, which
has increased the prosperity of both the American people and the Chinese
people. Trade in goods between our two nations has grown to $285 billion a
year, and U.S. exports to China grew nearly 21 percent in last year alone.
Our trade relationship can become even stronger, as China adopts policies
that allow U.S. companies to compete in China with the same freedom that
Chinese companies are able to compete here in the United States. So we
welcome China's commitments to increase domestic demand, to reform its
pension system, to expand market access for U.S. goods and services, to
improve enforcement of intellectual property rights, and to move toward a
flexible, market-based exchange rate for its currency. These policies will
benefit the Chinese people -- and are consistent with being a responsible
member of the international economic system and a leader in the World Trade
Organization.

Prosperity depends on security -- so the United States and China share a
strategic interest in enhancing security for both our peoples. We intend to
deepen our cooperation in addressing threats to global security --
including the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, the
violence unleashed by terrorists and extremists, and the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction. I appreciate China's role as host of the
six-party talks, which will be successful only if North Korea makes the
right strategic decision: to abandon all its nuclear weapons and existing
nuclear programs as pledged to the other five parties. I will continue to
seek President Hu's advice and cooperation, and urge his nation to use its
considerable influence with North Korea to make meaningful progress toward
a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons.

The natural world also generates threats to international security -- and
the United States and China share a strategic interest in meeting these
challenges as well. We will continue to cooperate to fight avian flu and
other pandemic diseases. We will continue to cooperate to respond to
natural disasters. We will continue to cooperate to develop alternatives to
fossil fuels. New technologies can drive economic growth on both sides of
the Pacific, and help us become better stewards of our natural resources.

As the relationship between our two nations grows and matures, we can be
candid about our disagreements. I'll continue to discuss with President Hu
the importance of respecting human rights and freedoms of the Chinese
people. China has become successful because the Chinese people are
experience the freedom to buy, and to sell, and to produce -- and China can
grow even more successful by allowing the Chinese people the freedom to
assemble, to speak freely, and to worship.

The United States will also be candid about our policy toward Taiwan. The
United States maintains our one China policy based on the three communiqués
and the Taiwan Relations Act. We oppose unilateral changes in the status
quo in the Taiwan Strait by either side, and we urge all parties to avoid
confrontational or provocative acts. And we believe the future of Taiwan
should be resolved peacefully.

The United States and China will continue to build on our common interests;
we will address our differences in a spirit of mutual respect. We have made
progress in building a relationship that is candid and cooperative -- and
President Hu's visit will further that progress.

And so, Mr. President, welcome to the White House. We're really glad you're
here. I'm looking forward to our meetings, and I'm so thrilled to welcome
Madam Liu, as well. Thank you for coming. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) President George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush, ladies
and gentlemen, dear friends. I'm glad to visit the United States in the
lovely season of spring, at your invitation, Mr. President. I wish to
convey to the great American people the warm greetings and best wishes of
the 1.3 billion Chinese people.

I have come to enhance dialogues, expand common ground, deepen mutual trust
and cooperation, and to promote the all-around growth of constructive and
cooperative China-U.S. relations in the 21st century -- (audience
interruption) --

PRESIDENT BUSH: You're okay.

PRESIDENT HU: The Chinese people have always cherished goodwill towards the
American people. In 1784, U.S. merchant ship, Empress of China, sailed to
China, opening the friendly exchanges between our two peoples. In mid 19th
century, several dozen thousand Chinese workers, working side-by-side with
American workers and braving harsh conditions, built the great railway
linking the East and the West of the American continent.

In our common struggle against fascist aggression over 60 years ago,
several thousand American soldiers lost their lives in battlefields in
China. Their heroic sacrifice still remains fresh in the minds of the
Chinese people. Thanks to the concerted efforts made by our two governments
and our two peoples over the years, our friendship has grown from strength
to strength and yielded rich fruit.

The Chinese and the Americans are great peoples. The Americans are
optimistic, full of enterprising drive, down to earth, and innovative. In
just over 200 years, they have turned the United States into the most
developed country in the world, and made phenomenal achievements in
economic development and science and technology.

The Chinese are industrious, courageous, honest, and intelligent. They
created the splendid ancient Chinese civilization. And today, they're
firmly committed to the path of peaceful development and are making
continuous progress in the modernization drive by carrying out the reform
and opening up program.

Both China and the United States are countries of significant influence in
the world. We share important common strategic interests in a wide range of
areas, including economic cooperation and trade, security, public health,
energy, and environmental protection, and on major international and
regional issues. In particular, mutually beneficial and win-win China-U.S.
economic cooperation and trade benefit our two peoples and promote the
economic growth in the Asia Pacific region and the world at large. Indeed,
they have become an important foundation for China-U.S. relations.

Enhanced interactions and cooperation between China and the United States
serve the interests of our two peoples and are conducive to world peace and
development. We should stay firmly rooted in the present while looking
ahead to the future, and view and approach China-U.S. relations from a
strategic and long-term perspective. We should, on the basis of the
principles set forth in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués, respect each
other as equals and promote closer exchanges and cooperation. This will
enable us to make steady progress in advancing constructive and cooperative
China-U.S. relations, and bring more benefits to our two peoples and people
of the world.

We are ready to continue to work with the U.S. side and other parties
concerned to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula,
and the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiation to uphold the
international non-proliferation regime and safeguard global peace and
stability.

We are ready to work with the U.S. side in a spirit of seeking mutual
benefit and win-win outcomes to properly address each other's concerns and
facilitate the sound and the steady growth of bilateral economic
cooperation and trade.

We will continue to pursue the strategy of boosting domestic demand and
ensure fast and balanced economic and social development in China. This
will create more opportunities for China-U.S. economic cooperation and
trade. We will continue to advance the reform of the RMB exchange rate
regime, take positive steps in such areas as expanding market access,
increasing imports, and strengthening the protection of intellectual
property rights, and further expand China-U.S. economic cooperation and
trade.

We are ready to expand the friendly people-to-people exchanges and enhance
exchanges and cooperation in science, technology, culture, education, and
other areas.

We are ready to enhance dialogue and exchanges with the U.S. side on the
basis of mutual respect and equality to promote the world's cause of human
rights.

President Bush, you and the U.S. government have stated on various
occasions that you are committed to the one-China policy, abide by the
three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués, and oppose Taiwan independence. We
appreciate your commitments.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. We will continue to
make every effort and endeavor with every sincerity to strive for the
prospect of peaceful reunification of the two sides across the Taiwan
Straits. We will work with our Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful
development of cross-strait relations. However, we will never allow anyone
to make Taiwan secede from China by any means.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, the 21st century has entrusted people
around the world with a lasting historic mission: That is to maintain world
peace, promote common development and create a brighter future for mankind.
Let us work together with the international community to build a world of
enduring peace, common prosperity and harmony.

Thank you once again, Mr. President, for your warm welcome. (Applause.)

END 10:09 A.M. EDT

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060420.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)