    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [November 8, 2005]
    [Pages 1684-1687]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With Phoenix Television of Hong Kong
    November 8, 2005

    China-U.S. Relations

        Naichain Mo. Mr. President, thank you for selecting Phoenix
    Television for this interview. What greeting and message would you like
    to convey to the Chinese people prior to your visit to China?
        The President. First, that the relationship between China and
    America is an important relationship. It's a mixed relationship. There
    is a lot of good that we're doing together, and there's a lot of areas
    where we may not have full agreement but, nevertheless, are able to
    discuss our disagreements in a very cordial way. And so I would tell the
    people of China you live in a great, massive country that's growing well
    and that we want to have good relations with you.

    [[Page 1685]]

    President's Upcoming Visit to China

        Ms. Mo. This will be your third formal visit to China.
        The President. Yes.
        Ms. Mo. What do you hope to achieve with this visit?
        The President. Well, first of all, the visit is giving me a chance
    to further get to know the leadership. President Hu
    is a person who I enjoy visiting with. He is a smart fellow. And the
    more you get to know a person, the better--the easier it is to make good
    policy.
        Secondly, I'm going to, of course, be going to China to represent
    the interests of my people. I'll talk about the need for trade that is
    free and fair. I'll talk about the currency, of course. I'll talk about
    intellectual property rights that the President and
    I have discussed before.
        And then on the international front we'll, of course--I'll confirm
    my ``one China,'' three-communique policy, that not only says that we do
    not support independence but as well, we will adhere to the Taiwan
    Relations Act. I think that's important for the Chinese leadership and
    the people of China to hear.
        We've also got an agenda to fight terrorism, fight narcotrafficking,
    as well as to work together to convince the leader of North Korea that
    the Korean Peninsula should be nuclear weapons-free.
        So we've got a broad agenda.
        Ms. Mo. Keep you busy.
        The President. It will keep us busy, but it's an important agenda,
    and the people of China must understand that when the United States and
    China works together, we can accomplish a lot.

    Taiwan

        Ms. Mo. You brought up Taiwan. I remember in 2001 and 2003 you made
    strong statements regarding Taiwan----
        The President. Yes.
        Ms. Mo. ----and regarding the recent development, do you feel less
    concern about a cross-strait situation than you were in, like, 2003?
        The President. Well, I'm always concerned that one party or the
    other will do something unilaterally to change the status quo, which
    would then create, you know, a source of angst and anger. And therefore,
    I'm constantly reiterating my position so that both sides clearly know
    the position of the United States.
        Ms. Mo. Are you optimistic about a peaceful resolution in the end?
        The President. I have seen some--yes, I am optimistic there will be
    a peaceful resolution. Secondly, I am optimistic because I have seen
    cross-straits discussion starting to take place. And I urge the parties
    to continue those discussions. I believe it is possible, through
    discussion and good will, to end up solving this issue in a peaceful
    way.

    China-U.S. Relations

        Ms. Mo. You call U.S.-China relationship complicated.
        The President. Yes.
        Ms. Mo. And we heard U.S. officials and experts have variously
    called China a threat, a partner, a competitor, and an opportunity. So
    how do you see China, and what's your plan to deal with China's
    emergence?
        The President. Well, that's interesting--all the different
    adjectives I guess kind of express a complicated relationship. I would
    say--I think we've got a lot of issues to deal with, is the best way to
    describe it. And on issues on which we agree, we can make positive
    contributions and change.
        Issues we don't necessarily agree on, we can work through and do so
    in a frank way. And I repeat, I think we have a fantastic opportunity by
    working with China and other countries to make sure that the Korean
    Peninsula is nuclear weapons-free, which will lay a foundation for a
    peace in the region and the hemisphere, and that's important.
        Ms. Mo. You brought up North Korea. What other issues do you most
    seek China's

    [[Page 1686]]

    support and cooperation? And what do you expect them to do?
        The President. Well, first of all, on the United Nations Security
    Council we work on every issue together. And one way for us to be able
    to work together is just to share opinions on different issues. For
    example, I'll bring up Iran. I want the President
    to understand how I think it's important for the free world and the
    peaceful world to work together to convince the Iranians not to develop
    a nuclear weapon.
        China has got influence. China is a big, powerful nation. And
    therefore, it's in our interest that we share ideas and work together.
    I'll also want to continue discussions on the economic front, because
    we've got a big trade imbalance with China, but we're making progress.
    The Chinese took a good first step on having a market currency; I
    believe they ought to do more. The President made a very strong
    statement in New York about intellectual property rights. We've reached
    a textile agreement, which is a very important signal to our folks who
    want to make sure that the President works for fair
    trade. And with the trade balance as big as it is, you know, it's
    important for people here in America to be able to say to themselves,
    ``We hope it's fair.'' And I'm going to continue to insist on fair trade
    as well.
        Finally, there is a couple of other areas we can work on, if you've
    got a second. One is energy. We consume a lot of energy. China is
    consuming more energy. And we need to share information and share
    technologies so both of us can diversify away from hydrocarbons.

    President's 1975 Visit to China

        Ms. Mo. My last question, in 1975 you visited China, when your
    father was U.S. Representative in Beijing.
        The President. Yes, I did.
        Ms. Mo. I know you spent your 29th birthday there----
        The President. That's right. [Laughter]
        Ms. Mo. ----and went back a number of visit over the years. Can you
    share with us some of the memories that made the deepest impression on
    you when you think of China?
        The President. I think of how different China is today than it was
    in 1975. In 1975--first of all, I had a fantastic experience when I went
    there in 1975.
        Ms. Mo. Good to know.
        The President. I really did. It was great. It was really
    interesting. The two impressions--a couple of impressions. One,
    everybody was on bicycles; there weren't many automobiles. I happened to
    be one of the people on bicycles. I rode all over the place in Beijing,
    which was fascinating.
        Secondly, I can remember how odd people thought I looked. In other
    words, there wasn't much exposure to the West, and all of a sudden an
    American starts riding a bike amongst them, and it, frankly, surprised
    some people.
        And thirdly, I noticed there was uniformity in dress. People wore
    the same style clothes. And that's changed, which means there's a
    market; people are beginning to express their own individual desires and
    somebody is meeting those desires with a product. There's high-rise
    buildings that are magnificent. When I went to Shanghai right after
    September the 11th, 2001, I was--it was mind-boggling to look at the
    fantastic buildings that had been built between the airport and the old
    town.
        So this is a country that has progressed a lot since 1975, which
    shows the vast potential of China. And it explains to people--it should
    explain to people in America why it's important for our Government to
    have a good working relationship--as complex as it is, but to have a
    good working relationship. And we do. And that's in the interest not
    only of our respective people but it's in the interest of the world.
        Ms. Mo. Thank you, Mr. President.
        The President. Thanks for coming.
        Ms. Mo. I wish you a very good trip to Asia and a successful visit
    to China.

    [[Page 1687]]

        The President. Thank you very much.

    Note: The interview was taped at 1:34 p.m. in the Map Room at the White
    House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the President referred to
    President Hu Jintao of China; and Chairman Kim Chong-il of North Korea.
    A tape was not available for verification of the content of this
    interview.