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Skriven 2006-04-20 23:33:10 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0604201) for Thu, 2006 Apr 20
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President Bush Meets with President Hu of the People's Republic of China
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 20, 2006

President Bush Meets with President Hu of the People's Republic of China
Oval Office


˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Global Diplomacy

11:16 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BUSH: The President and I will make opening statements. We'll be
glad to answer two questions from each side.

Mr. President, welcome. We've just had yet another constructive dialogue. I
enjoy my visits with President Hu. He tells me what he thinks, and I tell
him what I think, and we do so with respect.

China has important relations with the United States. We obviously have
commercial relations that are important. We're working on issues like Iran
and Sudan. We've got a mutual interest in seeing that the Korean Peninsula
is nuclear weapons-free. We spent time talking about Taiwan, and I assured
the President my position has not changed. I do not support independence
for Taiwan.

We don't agree on everything, but we're able to discuss our disagreements
in a spirit of friendship and cooperation. So it's a very important
relationship.

And, Mr. President, thank you for your frankness and for our discussions.

PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) To begin with, I'd like to thank President
Bush for his kind invitation and the generous hospitality afforded to me.
And just now I had a pragmatic and constructive dialogue with President
Bush, and during that meeting, President Bush and I had an in-depth
exchange of views on the Chinese-U.S. relationship and major, regional, as
well as international issues of mutual interest.

We have reached important agreement at the meeting. We both agreed that
under the new circumstances, given the international situation here, that
China and the United States share extensive, common strategic interests and
there is a broad prospect for the mutually beneficial cooperation between
the two countries. A good China-U.S. relationship is of strategic
significance to the maintenance and promotion of peace, stability and
development in the Asia Pacific region and in the world at large.

We both agreed to view and address the bilateral relationship from a
strategic and long-term perspective, and we both agreed to comprehensively
move forward the constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relationship in
the 21st century, to the benefits of the Chinese and American peoples, and
peoples around the world.

And during the meeting I stressed the importance of the Taiwan question to
Mr. President. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and we
maintain consistently that under the basis of the one China principle, we
are committed to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and
to the promotion of the improvement and development of the cross-straits
relations. We have the utmost sincerity and we will do this to our utmost
with all sincerity to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification.
This being said, we will by no means allow Taiwan independence.

President Bush gave us his understanding of the Chinese concerns. He
reiterated the American positions and said that he does not hope that the
moves taken by the Taiwan authorities to change the status quo will upset
the China-U.S. relationship, which I am highly appreciative.

We both agreed to work together to promote the development of the economic
ties and trade between the two countries on the basis of a mutual benefit
in seeking win-win outcomes. As for the differences, or even frictions
between the two countries in this regard, we both believe that they may be
properly resolved through consultations on an equal footing. Both Mr.
President and I spoke highly of the outcomes from 17th JCCT team meeting
which was held not long ago.

President Bush and I also agreed that the two countries need to better
increase their exchanges and cooperation in the military, law enforcement,
science and technology, culture, education, and other fields. We also both
agreed to further step up our dialogue and cooperation in such fields as
counterterrorism, nonproliferation, the prevention and control of the avian
influenza, energy, environmental protection, disaster prevention and
relief, and other major issues.

Both sides agreed to continue their efforts to facilitate the six-party
talks to seek a proper solution to the Korean nuclear issue, and both sides
agree to continue their efforts to seek a peaceful resolution of the
Iranian nuclear issue.

I assured Mr. President that China is willing to work together with the
United States and other countries in the world in joint effort to build a
harmonious world featuring enduring peace and shared prosperity.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir. Jennifer.

Q Thank you, sir. President Hu, when will China become a democracy with
free elections? And President Bush, why have you not been able to persuade
China to more quickly revalue its currency?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Last July, the Chinese made a major decision on their
currency. There's been some appreciation in the currency. We would hope
there would be more appreciation in the currency.

Q President Hu?

PRESIDENT HU: I don't know -- what do you mean by a democracy? What I can
tell you is that we've always believed in China that if there is no
democracy, there will be no modernization, which means that ever since
China's reform and opening up in the late 1970s, China, on the one hand,
has vigorously promoted economic reform, and on the other, China has also
been actively, properly, and appropriately moved forward the political
restructuring process, and we have always been expanding the democracy and
freedoms for the Chinese citizens.

In the future, we will, in the light of China's own national conditions and
the will of the Chinese people, continue to move ahead the political
restructuring and to develop a socialist democracy, and we will further
expand the orderly participation of the Chinese citizens in political
affairs so that the Chinese citizens will be in a better position to
exercise their democratic rights in terms of democratic supervision,
democratic management, and the democratic decision-making.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Do you want to call on somebody from the Chinese side?

Q (As translated.) I have a question for President Hu Jintao. And how do
you feel the problems and disputes between China and United States in the
field of economic ties and trade? And in your view, what kind of measures
shall we take to properly resolve these issues?

PRESIDENT HU: The economic ties and trade between China and the United
States are an important component for China and U.S. relationships as a
whole. And in this economic ties and trade, I think that mutually
beneficial cooperation and win-win outcomes represent the mainstream.

Although the two countries do have different opinions or sometimes even
frictions in this relationship, what has happened has proven that all these
issues or differences can be properly resolved through consultations on an
equal footing and further expansion of the mutually beneficial cooperation.

We understand the American concerns over the trade imbalances, the
protection of the intellectual property rights and market access. We have
taken measures, and we'll continue to take steps to properly resolve the
issues.

China pursues a policy of boosting domestic demand, which means that we'll
mainly rely upon domestic demand expansion to further promote the economic
growth of the country. We do not pursue a excessively high trade surplus.

We have already launched the reform of the RMB Chinese currency exchange
rate regime, which has paid off initially. And in the future, we'll
continue to make efforts to improve the RMB exchange rate regime.

We'll continue to expand the market access and increase the import of
American products. As a matter of fact, lately, a delegation composed of
Chinese businesspeople have been to the United States, and during their
trip, they have totally signed 107 commercial contracts or agreements with
a total value of over $16.2 billion U.S.

The U.S. technology products exported to China, particularly in the field
of the export of high-tech products, are quite incompatible with the
economic might of the United States. I hope that the United States
government will be able to relax or ease the restrictions imposed on its
exports, particularly high-tech exports to China. And we also hope that the
U.S. government will be able to create a level playing field for Chinese
businesses who want to enter the American market. And this will certainly
help bring down the trade deficit of the United States. And this will also
contribute to the further sound and stable growth of the trading ties and
economic cooperation between the two countries.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Let me say something on this. First of all, it was a very
comprehensive answer, and I appreciate that, Mr. President. I am heartened
by the President's answer because he recognizes that a trade deficit with
the United States, as substantial as it is, is unsustainable.

I appreciate his statement very much, because the American people -- all we
want to do is be treated fairly in the international marketplace. He's used
the word "win-win," and that's a very important concept when it comes to
economics that are mutually beneficial. Market access is very important.
And I appreciate your commitment to that, Mr. President.

What also is very much important is that for the -- as the Chinese society
evolves, that it becomes an economy that is not export driven, but consumer
driven. I appreciate the government's commitment to that evolution, because
as there's more consumers and market access, it will mean that U.S. small
businesses and businesses and farmers will have a chance to be able to find
new markets. Obviously, the Chinese government takes the currency issue
seriously, and so do I. And finally, I want to remind our citizens, as the
President said earlier, exports to China are up by 21 percent. And that
means jobs.

And so we're going to continue to work on this very important relationship
to make sure the playing field is level.

Steve.

Q Thank you. President Bush, have you presented President Hu to go along
with tougher actions against Iran, if necessary, such as sanctions? And
President Hu, is there more you can do to influence North Korea to give up
nuclear weapons?

PRESIDENT BUSH: The first goal of any dialogue with a partner with whom
we're trying to create peace is to have a common objective, a stated goal.
And we have a common goal, and that is that Iran should not have the
nuclear weapon, the capacity to make a nuclear weapon, or the know-how to
how to make a nuclear weapon.

And the second goal is to be in a position where we can work on tactics.
And one of the tactics that I've been talking to the President about is the
use of the United Nations Security Council Chapter 7 to send a common
message to the Iranians that China and the United States and EU 3 countries
all deeply are concerned about the Iranian ambition.

China is an important voice in international affairs. And I will continue
to work with the President to strategize as to how best to achieve our
important goal, which is a -- an Iran without the capacity, the know-how,
or a nuclear weapon.

PRESIDENT HU: As our friends may know, that the nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula, China has always been persuading the parties for their
reconciliation and promote the talks for peaceful solutions. And we have
always been making constructive efforts to denuclearize the Korean
Peninsula.

It is exactly thanks to concerted efforts of the parties involved that in
September last year the six parties had their fourth-round talks, and
successfully concluded a joint statement as a initial result. It has not
come easily.

The six-party talks have run into some difficulties at the moment. I hope
that the parties will be able to further display flexibility, work
together, and create necessary conditions for the early resumption of the
talks.

Q Mr. President, good morning. I would like to know, what is on your mind
and what kind of things you can do to facilitate the people-to-people and
cultural exchanges between the two countries?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I remember giving -- well, the first graduation speech I
ever gave as President was to Notre Dame. And I was -- I distinctly
remember the -- a number of Chinese students that were there who had gotten
advanced degrees. And it's a vivid reminder that one of the best ways for
there to be exchange is for there to be exchange of students. I think the
more U.S. students who study in China, and the more Chinese students who
study in the United States will lead to lasting understanding, which is
very important for future relations.

Obviously, there will be exchanges in the arts. There's a great interest in
the United States about the Chinese arts and the history of Chinese arts.
There's going to be sports exchanges. Yao Ming, I mean, he's a perpetual
exchange. He's a great player, and he's here all the times. The Olympics
will bring a great opportunity for us to have interchange. There's all
kinds of ways for the United States and Chinese people to get to know each
other, and I look forward to encouraging those kind of avenues of dialogue.
Presidents can talk, but sometimes the best way to have lasting friendship
is for there to be a lot of people to people exchanges.

Thank you very much.

END 11:47 A.M. EDT

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