    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [October 19, 2001]
    [Pages 1268-1269]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1268]]

    Remarks to the United States Embassy Community in Shanghai
    October 19, 2001

        Thank you all very much. Look who I brought with me: Ambassador
    Randt's boss, the Secretary of
    State, who, by the way, is doing a fabulous
    job on behalf of the American people. I want to thank all my fellow
    Americans who are here, those of you who are working for a great land
    and a great people. I also want to thank the Foreign Service nationals
    who are here as well.
        All of us are very proud of the job that you're doing. I want to say
    that I sent a clear signal to China that I take this relationship very
    seriously, that it's of paramount concern to my administration, when I
    picked my longtime friend to be the Ambassador to this country. I've
    known Clark T. for a long, long period
    of time. I know him to be a man who is bright, intelligent, a man who
    understands China well. He's going to be a great ambassador to this
    country.
        Hank, I want to thank you as well.
    I know how much work goes into making sure one of these trips goes well.
    After all, our delegation is only occupying three full hotels.
    [Laughter] It's good for the economy when the President shows up.
    [Laughter] But I want to thank you, and I want to thank your office and
    all the people who have helped with the arrangements for this important
    trip.
        Sergeant, I want to thank you, as well, for
    your service to the country. As you all know, I committed American
    troops to a very important cause in the last couple of weeks. And I did
    so with the full confidence that our military is the best in the world.
    The American people have got the full confidence that our military will
    fulfill its mission. And one of the reasons that I've got so much
    confidence is, I know many of the people who wear the uniform. Sergeant
    Khaled represents the fine quality of the men
    and women who serve our country. And Sergeant, thank you very much for
    being here.
        Before I work my way through the ropeline to shake everybody's hand
    and thank you for coming, maybe take a picture or two, I want to give
    you a report from the homefront, what it's like in the United States.
    The United States of America is united. It is strong. It is determined
    to reject evil, to fight terrorism. The United States people are very
    patient. They understand that we've entered into a new kind of conflict,
    and they, like the President and the Secretary of State, are ready to do whatever it takes to win. We will not let
    terrorism stand.
        Our fight is not against a religion or a nation. Our fight is
    against evil people and a government that houses them. Our fight is
    against the evildoers, individuals who think so evil that they're
    willing to murder innocent people, and those who house them. The
    doctrine is, is that those who have committed crimes against America and
    crimes against freedom will be held accountable. But so will nations who
    harbor them, who feed them, and who hide them.
        And our great Government, along with others, is now making that
    statement clear to the world. And we're making good progress. We've got
    them on the run. And slowly but surely we're pulling the net of justice
    around them--``they'' being the Taliban as the host and the Al Qaida as
    the parasite. And we will bring them to justice; make no mistake about
    it. And the world will be better for it when we do.
        I had a very good meeting with President Jiang today. He understands that--he understands the threat
    that terrorism means not only to America but to nations around the
    world. And he also is willing to join with us in the war against terror.
    The war against terror is more than just conventional

    [[Page 1269]]

    means, the war against terror--using conventional means. The war against
    terror means smart diplomacy, and for those of you on the diplomatic
    front, thank you for helping wage that war.
        The war against terror means sharing of information. And the Chinese
    Government is more than willing to work with us as we share information,
    as we hunt these evildoers down. The war against terror is fought on all
    kinds of fronts. And whether you realize it or not, you're on the
    front--on the frontlines of this war. And we want to thank you for that.
        I come to this important--I come to this meeting in a time of
    uncertainty in America. And I did so because I wanted our country to
    have the confidence that our Government is doing everything we can to
    win, that we're going to continue to build coalitions, we're going to
    continue to rally the world.
        At home, I want to assure you that we're responding quickly. Perhaps
    you've read about these anthrax mailings. We don't know who did it yet.
    But if you've got relatives at home, I can assure you that our
    Government is taking the necessary actions to make sure Americans are
    treated quickly when we find any exposure to our fellow citizens.
        We're doing everything we can at home to disrupt the evildoers. The
    Justice Department is on full alert. The FBI is active, within the
    Constitution of the United States of America. We're protecting your
    loved ones and your relatives in America. But I also will remind you
    that the surest way to make sure America is protected, and other
    governments and countries are protected, is to win the war, is to find
    them, patiently hunt them down, and bring them to justice. And that's
    exactly what our great land is going to do.
        I'm glad to be back in China. I was here when my mother and dad
    lived here in the mid-seventies. You weren't here then, were you?
    [Laughter] There's a man who's got a lot of tenure. I've got to tell
    you, I was amazed--as a matter of fact, my mother and my family--except
    for my dad--got on a train in 1975 and motored down from Beijing to
    Shanghai. And I still remember Shanghai. But what I drove through last
    night from the airport just was mind-boggling. It is a great testament
    to the ingenuity and drive of the Chinese people. It was--it's going to
    be hard to describe to my fellow citizens what I saw. It is miraculous
    and incredible, really. And I think it's--those of you probably who have
    been here for a while take it for granted. I didn't, and I was amazed.
        But it speaks to the great opportunities that exist between China
    and the United States. The relationship is a very important
    relationship, one that I take seriously and one that I'm confident will
    be a positive relationship that will lead to not only strong relations
    at the governmental level but good relations between our two peoples.
        I want to thank you again for working on behalf of the great land
    called America. We're strong. We are steady. We're united. I'm so proud
    of the American people, and I'm honored to be the President of the
    greatest land on the face of the Earth. Thank you for coming, and may
    God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:14 p.m. in the Shanghai Center Atrium at
    the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Clark T.
    Randt, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to China; Henry ``Hank'' Levine, U.S. Consul
    General in Shanghai; Sgt. Khaled Hafid, USMC; and President Jiang Zemin
    of China.