US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that US-China relations are good
and important, and he is "honored" to be invited to attend the Beijing Olympics.
"The fact that both countries are honoring the 30th anniversary of the
relationship is a statement about good relations," he told reporters from China,
South Korea and Thailand at the White House ahead of his upcoming trip to the
three countries.
Also, the fact that both China and the United States are opening new
embassies in each other's capitals is "a signal of how important the
relationship is," Bush added.
Bush said that during his stay in Beijing, he would attend the opening
ceremony of the new US embassy, together with his father, former US President
George H. W. Bush.
"Isn't that interesting, two new embassies open the same year, obviously to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of what has been a very important relationship,"
he said.
In retrospect of the development of US-China relationship during his
presidency, the president said two things are most important.
One is that he and the Chinese leaders have forged a good personal
relationship featured by "sincerity and honesty," as they have met many times
during Bush's tenure.
Secondly, the two nations have worked hard to put strategic economic
dialogues in place in a bid to broaden and enhance bilateral relations.
To some extent, the president said, China and the United States have become
increasingly interdependent as their relationship is becoming more and more
interwoven, particularly in the economic field.
He said whoever follows him as the president will continue the policy of
"active engagement" (with China) with a constant reminder of the belief in human
freedom and liberty.
"And it's an opportunity for our two countries ... to be able to work through
common problems and to seize common opportunities," he added.
Moreover, Bush said he has always been committed to broadening defense
cooperation and exchanges between China and the United States.
The president believed it was very important for US generals, especially
younger US officers, to conduct exchanges and make more contacts with their
Chinese counterparts so as to create a feeling of trust.
Asked about how he viewed the changes happening with India and China growing
stronger, Bush said he believed the emergence of India and China is a positive
thing.
"I view the emergence of India and China as positives and I think it's going
to be very important for the United States to stay engaged," he said.
"They will provide great opportunities for development of services and goods
that people in our big markets want," he said.
"It provides great opportunities for capital flows which is necessary for
economic development. It will provide opportunities to work collaboratively on
strong strategic areas, security areas ... as well as on the environment," the
president added.
While talking about Taiwan, Bush said it is "a very sensitive issue" for the
Chinese government.
People who study this very closely will see that the issue is "in a better
place," Bush said.
"I made it abundantly clear that there were some red lines for the United
States on this issue, that there would be no unilateral declaration of
independence," the president said.
"Our policy was still the same. It's very important for the president to be
very consistent," he added.
Bush said he himself was very pleased with the state of (cross-Straits)
relations now.
As for the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the president said the message of his
visit to China and to attend the Beijing Olympics is "that I personally and
America respect the Chinese people -- respect your history, respect your
tradition, and I'm honored to have been invited to the Games."
"And I made a decision not to politicize the Games; this is for athletics,"
he said.
Earlier this month, the White House has confirmed that Bush will attend the
opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
The president, a sports fan himself, said he will also watch some events
during the Games, including the men's basketball game between China and the
United States.
"I'm sure we will walk around the different venue sites and just get a sense
for the whole atmosphere of people from all around the world coming to Beijing
to compete in the Olympic Games. That's going to be a proud moment for the
Chinese people," he said.
In the end, Bush said he is looking forward to meeting Chinese President Hu
Jintao in Beijing.
He said he and President Hu have "very cordial relations" and "it's important
to be able to have those kind of relations."
"I'm very comfortable in his presence, and we will talk about the kinds of
issues we always talk about," Bush said.
Bush is scheduled to leave for a three-nation Asia tour on Aug.4. He will
visit South Korea and Thailand before going to China on Aug. 7, where he will
attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on Aug. 8.