    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [April 8, 1999]
    [Pages 517-518]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for Premier Zhu Rongji of China
    April 8, 1999

        Premier Zhu, Madam Lao, members of the Chinese
    delegation, distinguished guests. Premier Zhu, welcome to the White
    House and welcome to the United States. Your visit is an important event
    in the long relations between our people, a relationship that spans
    nearly the entire history of the United States. Before this city even
    existed, even before our Constitution was signed, China granted our
    newly independent Nation equal standing with the powers of Europe.
        In the late 18th century, it took a ship sailing out of Boston over
    a year to make the voyage to China and back. Today, our people can
    communicate back and forth in less than the time needed to speak this
    sentence. But better communication has not always brought better
    comprehension.
        We have done great things together, and we have disagreed on many
    occasions. For over two decades in this century, we had no conversations
    at all. That was not healthy for either China or the United States.
        At the dawn of a new century, we now recognize that our interests
    coincide on many issues and diverge on some others but that we have a
    fundamental responsibility to speak with candor and listen with an open
    mind. And certainly, we can agree that China and the United States can
    best achieve our hopes in the next century if we continue to build a
    constructive strategic partnership, a relationship that allows us to
    make progress on the issues that matter to our people.
        Those issues include stopping the spread of deadly weapons, building
    a secure and stable Asia-Pacific region, ensuring free and fair trade
    under international rules, promoting economic growth while protecting
    the environment, embracing the universal principles of political freedom
    and human dignity.
        Mr. Premier, under your leadership, China has pursued wise economic
    policies, striving to maintain growth, low inflation, a stable currency.
    You have fought hard against corruption, reinvented your government to
    make it more efficient, and reformed state-owned enterprises.
        China's stability during the Asian economic crisis has been crucial
    to Asia's hopes for a recovery. That has been good for millions of
    Asians who depend upon China's economic health and for millions of
    Americans, from small investors to farmers to people who work for the
    many companies doing business in China. America has a stake in China's
    success, in a China that has overcome the challenges it faces at home, a
    China that is integrated into the institutions that promote global norms
    on proliferation, trade, and the environment, a China that respects
    human rights and promotes peace.
        I am grateful for the Premier's visit, following up on President
    Jiang's visit here and my visit

    [[Page 518]]

    to China. I am very grateful for the opportunity it gives to both of us
    to address our potential and our differences in an honest, open,
    realistic manner.
        Mr. Premier, I hope you and the American people learn a lot from
    each other as you travel across our Nation and speak in your candid,
    forthright way. I look forward to our discussion this morning. And again
    I say, welcome, you are very welcome to the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:50 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, where Premier Zhu was accorded a formal welcome with full
    military honors. In his remarks, he referred to Premier Zhu's wife, Lao
    An, and President Jiang Zemin of China. The transcript released by the
    Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Premier Zhu.