Transcript: Fleischer Discusses Bush's Goals for China Visit
(Press briefing en route to Beijing February 21)Strengthening U.S.-China ties is the primary goal of President Bush's trip to China, White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer says.
During a press briefing February 21 aboard Air Force One en route to Beijing, Fleischer said: "The President's focus in his trip to China is going to be on strengthening the growing relationship between the United States and China, discussing our ongoing efforts in the war against terrorism and cooperation we've had from China, discussing the importance of non-proliferation with China, stressing the importance of China's adherence to the WTO, particularly in the area of soybeans, which has been a difficult point between the United States and China."
Fleischer called China "an emerging marvel" and said that Bush "wants to help build the relationship, cognizant of religious freedom, cognizant of human rights, but help China on its way to becoming even more of an emerging marvel."
Following is the White House transcript of the briefing:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Beijing, People's Republic of China)For Immediate Release February 21, 2002
PRESS GAGGLE
BY
ARI FLEISCHERAboard Air Force One
En route Beijing, People's Republic of China9:30 A.M. EST
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me give you a little overview about what we're doing in China, and then see if there's any questions.
The President's focus in his trip to China is going to be on strengthening the growing relationship between the United States and China, discussing our ongoing efforts in the war against terrorism and cooperation we've had from China, discussing the importance of non-proliferation with China, stressing the importance of China's adherence to the WTO, particularly in the area of soybeans, which has been a difficult point between the United States and China.
The President, as he talks about the benefits to China of WTO ascension, will press China on adhering to the terms dealing with agricultural issues, such as soybeans; and then I anticipate human rights and religious freedom will be an issue the President brings up.
One mechanical item -- oh, a couple mechanical items. We're going to try to get copies of the speech that the President is giving tomorrow morning out, either later tonight or early tomorrow morning.
Q: Late?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, most likely early tomorrow morning, but we're going to try to get that out in its entirety. And that speech -- nothing is for certain, but we expect that the speech and the Q&A's will be all broadcast live in their entirety, throughout China.
Q: What is the goal of the speech?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's interesting, the speech is really kind of a description of America, what makes life in America the way it is, a description of the values of the American people, how our government relates to its people. It's a very reflective look at what makes our society the way it is.
Q: What's the purpose of giving that speech to a Chinese audience?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President wants to share that message with the Chinese people about how our country works, what makes us tick, the relationship between our free people and the government. It's a chance to reach out and describe what makes us a free people, and share that with the Chinese government and Chinese people.
Q: Why bother?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's part of what the President said in the State of the Union, about human dignity and about values that stem not just from the laws of man, but from the condition of man; that it's part of fundamental human dignity, human rights, and that's something that the President wants to share with the Chinese people.
Q: And what is he hoping --
Q: -- want the Chinese people to adopt a lifestyle more like ours? There's got to a purpose in describing it.
MR. FLEISCHER: No, not to have a lifestyle like ours, it's just --
Q: What's the goal of the speech?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's just part of what the President talks about, the strength of our relationship with China. It's based on rule of law, it's based on transparency, it's based on a China that is increasingly open to ideas from the outside, a China that finds strength and diversity of ideas. And the President is pleased with that process, it's been underway inside China, and he wants to speak to it.
Q: So what's the purpose, though, now that they're more open to ideas, why is it -- what's the purpose of the President expressing our ideas?
MR. FLEISCHER: To share America's ideas.
Q: Why?
Q: Is there any significance to the fact that he's giving this to students?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, one, he was invited. But given the fact that it's covered live throughout the country, it goes much farther, beyond students. I'll just leave it at that.
Q: Why does the President think it's important to share America's values with China? What's the goal of this speech?
MR. FLEISCHER: Because as China evolves and becomes a stronger nation, guided by the rule of law, the strength of our relationship with China will grow and deepen as freedom continues to emerge in China.
Q: So he wants to encourage those strains and those elements going on --
MR. FLEISCHER: He's going to describe the strengths of our society.
Q: I mean, why can't you say why -- it's obvious to everybody here, he's trying to set an example. Why can't you say that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Because, you know what, this is -- it's because it's consistent -- I understand what you're asking, but the reason I'm not going down that road is because it's consistent with the President's approach to also have a humble foreign policy. And it's an interesting balance that the United States observes. As the United States speaks of what makes our society strong and how our government relates to its people in a way that is cooperative, in a way that is productive in dealing with other nations and other people, and in a humble fashion.
Q: So he won't make an overt call for the Chinese government and the Chinese people to embrace American-style freedoms?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. It's a humble approach, but it's a sharing approach, because there are certain things about human dignity that are always worth sharing, because it strengthens individuals, no matter where they are.
Q: Does the President still view China as a strategic competitor?
MR. FLEISCHER: Certainly in some areas we compete with China. In some areas we have complaints, criticisms, such as human rights, religious freedom. But just as China for the first time has now entered the WTO, there are exciting avenues of new cooperation with China. It's a very complicated relationship, but it's increasingly a stronger and stronger relationship.
Q: What specifically is the President going to discuss, as far as trade and WTO concessions? What would he like to see happen on that area?
MR. FLEISCHER: China has to adhere to the terms that it agreed to upon gaining entry into the WTO. Those terms are stringent, those terms are market-based, rule of law. And in the areas of agriculture, it presents some challenges, and again particularly in the area of soybeans.
You know, China exports 40 percent of its exports to the United States. We're their major market. The United States is increasingly exporting to China, particularly in the area of agriculture. The President sees room for growth in both those areas. And it's also a very exciting part of China's future.
When the President went to Shanghai, when he visited his father, when his father was the Ambassador, and then when he went back in November of this year, the President was struck by what a booming Shanghai has become. And that's thanks to the economic reforms within China. China is just an emerging marvel, and the President wants to help build the relationship, cognizant of religious freedom, cognizant of human rights, but help China on its way to becoming even more of an emerging marvel.
Q: Are you expecting --
Q: -- Falun Gong?
MR. FLEISCHER: Pardon me?
Q: Will he bring up Falun Gong?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll let you know specifically what issues he brings up when meets with President Jiang.
Q: You said yesterday he was planning on talking about his own personal religious faith.
MR. FLEISCHER: That's what he did in Shanghai before. I anticipate he'll do that, Martha.
Q: And so not going to name Falun Gong specifically, or --
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm just not going to --
Q: We don't know yet?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, let the meeting take place, because there are a series of religious freedom issues that involve not only Falun Gong, but Dalai Lama, the Papal Nuncio. There are several ones. I'll just suspend -- I mean, the meeting is in a couple hours. I'll tell you if he did or didn't.
Q: He's got quite a long list, if he's going to mention --
MR. FLEISCHER: Condi will be briefing on the record when we --
Q: She will?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, Condi's on the record. I don't know yet if it's on camera if it's on camera -- sometime this afternoon.
Q: Tonight?
MR. FLEISCHER: Sometime this afternoon.
Q: To the filing center, obviously?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, just the file.
Q: You called China an emerging marvel a couple times. Is that a phrase we might hear tomorrow?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I just said that.
Q: Ari, is there some deal on dissidents? Apparently the Chinese have been telling American diplomats in Peking that they're going to release --
Q: They're going to release them --
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll see.
Q: What's the order for the press conference today?
MR. FLEISCHER: It's two questions, unless -- which is the way it was done in the previous news conference, which was supposed to be two questions, and after one it was, news conference over, if you remember. But the agreement is two and two. And we're going to do one newspaper, one television.
Q: If you don't get the text out today, if you can get excerpts out to hold a space -- for a speech that's kind of late in the East Coast time, it would help -- it would help peak the interest of all the editors out there.
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me try that. What time do you need the speech tomorrow morning?
Q: The newspapers start designing their front pages at 4:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon on the east coast, so you're talking 3:00 a.m. in the morning here. Tonight would be --
MR. FLEISCHER: If I can't do it tonight, what time tomorrow morning is your --
Q: First thing, 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m.
Q: Yes, 6:00 a.m. would be better.
MR. FLEISCHER: Remember, we gain an hour here, so 6:00 a.m. in China is 5:00 p.m. on the east coast. Back in Korea and Japan, it would have been 4:00 p.m.
Q: Yes, so 6:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. is when most people make the call, so -- on the east coast.
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, that makes it harder.
Q: If you get it out there tonight, the speech is out there as soon as the cycle opens up.
MR. FLEISCHER: This still might be in its last iterations tonight. But my effort is to get it out first thing, whether that's tonight or tomorrow.
Q: -- tonight, and his speech early tomorrow?
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll work with you on that.
Q: Did he share with you any other comments about his impressions of the DMZ?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, I just think -- it was very vivid for him. It just drove it home what he was talking about, where the difference is so stark between liberty and tyranny and liberty and evil. One of the things he was briefed on is that North Korean -- the North Korean people are actually shrinking in height and losing weight, because they cannot feed themselves, because their system is so backwards, so tyrannical and so hostile to human freedom. He was briefed on that.
You can imagine, people who are shrinking in height because they don't have food. And from a human rights point of view, the United States supplies a lot of food to North Korea. But it's just a sign of the horrors of the system. So he talked about that. It's just -- oh, again, from his point of view, it was amazing to think that a little baby born on one side of that line has a bright future, as part of South Korea that has boomed -- particularly when you consider South Korea had one of the worst economies after World War II, one of the lowest GDP rates of any nation in the world, and has just been an economic miracle and a political miracle -- compared to a little baby who is born in North Korea, that faces a life of misery.
So I think it reinforced everything the President thought about these regimes, how evil they can be. But also you heard the President talk about the people of North Korea, which is an important distinction to make, because maybe one day -- and North Korea is one of the few nations left that still is under totalitarianism, Soviet style, whose current structure -- the South-North Korea split -- is a remnant of the Cold War.
At the end of World War II, Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula. Those north of the 38th Parallel surrendered to the Soviets, so the south surrendered to the United States. It was never supposed to be a partition. And really, it's one of the few relics left of the Cold War that still lives in tyranny.
Q: You know, last time we were in China they said they were going to broadcast the press conference live, and then they edited the comments. How can the U.S. government try to go about guaranteeing that it does actually this time. Can you do anything? You can't do anything.
MR. FLEISCHER: It's not a guarantee. I mean, we have talked to the Chinese officials about it. That's why I said we expect that it will be broadcast live. That's what we've been told, as well as the Q&A. We'll all find out together.
Q: What level of negotiations does that reach? Who --
MR. FLEISCHER: Embassy level.
Q: How many?
Q: What?
MR. FLEISCHER: She said, what level of negotiations does that reach, and I said, embassy level.
Q: When you said you expect it will be broadcast in its entirety, did they tell you it would be?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes.
Q: So the news conference and the speech, both of them?
MR. FLEISCHER: I referred to the speech. I don't know about the news conference. So tomorrow morning's speech -- and the Q's and A's also tomorrow. They're supposed to cover both.
Q: -- state-run TV --
MR. FLEISCHER: -- Secretary Powell, because he had a similar experience, where he did an interview that was supposed to be broadcast live, and it was not. But then when everybody complained and China was condemned for it, they did put it on live, and they re-showed it two, three times. So the irony of that was they kept it off the first time for, no one knows what reason, but then they did honor their agreement, they did put it on. It got even more coverage inside China --
Q: It was opposite Wheel of Fortune, nobody watched it. (Laughter.)
Q: Ari, let's go back to Hu Jintao. It's at the speech site tomorrow --
MR. FLEISCHER: Tomorrow morning.
Q: And they have an order, and the speaking, he introduces --
MR. FLEISCHER: He's welcoming the President. I don't know that he introduces him to the audience. I just don't remember that level of logistics. But he'll be there.
Q: They'll meet face-to-face?
MR. FLEISCHER: They'll be face-to-face.
Q: Okay, and will they have time together?
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll see. I couldn't tell you right now. But they will definitely see each other and have an opportunity to talk.
Q: What would Bush say, what would Bush -- what would be his message or purpose?
MR. FLEISCHER: Same message that he would give to all Chinese leaders.
Q: For those of us who've got to set up tomorrow's speech, what's the lead going to be tomorrow, besides the President says America is a great country? Where does he pivot from there?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think I walked you through with this, and said the President's going to say about -- I'd just refer you back to what I said earlier today. I gave a pretty good overview of it.
Q. There's a question of Angle -- that you tried to get him to answer that Angle asked of --
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, I heard people were yelling at their TV sets, that I cut President Kim off.
Q: We couldn't tell what happened, but it turned out that you tried to get him to answer, and then he didn't. And I'm wondering if the President --
MR. FLEISCHER: I waited for President Kim to answer the question. It was kind of awkward, actually, in the room, because I waited. I think everybody wanted to know the answer. I don't think he realized there was a question addressed to him, as well. But I heard back at the press filing center, you were saying, Ari cut him off, Ari cut him off.
Q: No, we figured it out. It was confusing. But my question was going to be, did the President ever ask that question -- which was a good one -- of the South Korean President: what makes you think the sunshine policy is actually going to work? What proof do you have that the sunshine policy is actually working?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I don't think the President put that to him directly.
Q: The President thinks the sunshine policy will work, because he supports it, right?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President did not put that question to President Kim directly.
Q: Is that why he didn't put it to him?
MR. FLEISCHER: I can't tell you why he did not do something.
Q: So what happened, you just sat there in silence, and never -- I mean --
MR. FLEISCHER: President Kim?
Q: Yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: At the news conference?
Q: Yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, I mean, I -- Angle asked a two-part question. President Bush answered. I waited, because I was going to call on the next questioner. I waited. Jim Angle had started to ask the question again, directed to President Kim. President Bush also realized there was no answer coming. President Bush said something about, I filibustered your answer. And then I realized at that point --
Q: That he wasn't going to answer it?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes. I mean, President Kim actually just stood there, without making an expression. Obviously, he had no intention of answering the question, or he did not realize that it was a two-part question addressed to him. So it would have been rude to have done anything other than go to the next question.
(end transcript)
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