    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [June 27, 1998]
    [Page 1068]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 27, 1998

        Good morning. I'm speaking to you today from Beijing. In just 2
    days, I've seen some of the rich history and remarkable changes that are
    taking place in China, home to nearly one quarter of the world's
    population.
        China is the oldest civilization on Earth. In Xi'an, on Friday, I
    saw the old and the new China, from magnificent Terra Cotta Warriors
    sculpted by artisans 2000 years before America was founded to the
    beginnings of democracy in a nearby village where residents soon will
    hold elections.
        I've been touched by the warm reception given to me, my family, and
    the Members of Congress traveling with us. Tens of thousands of Chinese
    families have lined the streets to greet us. For all these people, China
    is changing. I see cell phones, beepers, new office buildings.
        China is no longer the same country it was when President Nixon
    first came here 26 years ago. Never before have so many Chinese had the
    opportunity to start businesses; lift their families out of poverty;
    choose where to live, work, and travel; and enjoy the fruits of their
    labors. But there's also resistance to change, the legacy of a history
    that has not always been kind to the Chinese people and has left a
    deeply rooted fear of instability.
        Today in Beijing I am meeting with China's leaders to talk about the
    future of our two countries and a relationship between us that is
    essential to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world in the next
    century. We talked about the United States and China's mutual interests:
    promoting peace in Korea, where 40,000 U.S. soldiers still risk their
    lives to patrol the cold war's last frontier; preventing a nuclear arms
    race between India and Pakistan; restoring economic stability in Asia;
    stopping the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the
    missiles to deliver them; combating international crime and drug
    trafficking; preserving the environment; and opening trade.
        We also spoke frankly about our differences, especially concerning
    human rights. Over the past year, we have seen some progress in this
    area, though still far from enough. Some of China's famous political
    prisoners have been released, but others still languish in prison. The
    Government is loosening its control over many aspects of daily life, yet
    people still are not completely free to meet, to publish, to speak, to
    worship according to the dictates of their own hearts.
        Throughout this trip, I will raise human rights and try to explain
    how freedom has been at the heart of America's success and prosperity. I
    will also argue that in this global information age, when economic
    success is built on ideas, personal freedom is necessary to the
    innovation and creativity that are essential to the greatness of any
    modern nation.
        In dealing with China, we must stay true to a course that is both
    principled and pragmatic. We must continue to expand our areas of
    cooperation, even as we deal directly with our differences.
        China is important to our future, with the largest population on
    Earth, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, an
    economy increasingly connected to our own. Without China, it will be
    difficult to face the challenges, successfully, that affect all of us.
    With China, we can build a safer, more prosperous future for our
    children, a world of unlimited possibility in the new century.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:30 p.m., Beijing time, on June 26 at
    the Diaoyutai residence in Beijing, China, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m.,
    e.d.t., on June 27. The transcript was made available by the Office of
    the Press Secretary on June 26 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast.