    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [July 30, 2008]
    [Pages 1070-1081]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With Foreign Print Journalists
    July 30, 2008

        The President. Thanks. Looking forward to my trip. As you all know,
    the itinerary is South Korea, Thailand, and then China. China will be a
    mix of--South Korea will

    [[Page 1071]]

    be all diplomacy, get a chance to see my friend the President, a good discussion about common issues. I'll see the
    Prime Minister of Thailand for a nice
    dinner. He'll have some interesting events related to Burma the next
    day. And then, of course, we go into China for the Olympics, but there
    will be a fair amount of diplomacy while I'm there.
        And I'm really looking forward to it--looking forward to it because,
    one, my good wife will be going with me, and I
    love to travel with her. Secondly, one of my daughters is going with me, which will be fun. And my brother will be going with me. And in China, I'll be meeting
    my father, who will be traveling with my
    sister.
        Q. A big family reunion, Mr. President. [Laughter]
        The President. It sounds that way. Anyway, I'm looking forward to
    it; I'm excited to go. Relations with the three nations that I have just
    described are good, strong. My trip will help advance them, the
    relations.
        And I'll also be giving a speech in Thailand about our foreign
    policy in the Far East, where I will be leaving this foreign policy in 6
    months. I will also remind people that I will be sprinting to the
    finish, that I will finish this job strong. And so I want to thank you
    for coming by and giving me a chance to visit with you. We'll go a
    couple of rounds here.
        Kenneth.

    Island of Dokdo

        Q. Thank you, sir. It's a long question, and I'll probably--I don't
    know how to put it, but your strongest allies in Asia are Korea and
    Japan, recently on a tug-of-war game these days over this little island
    called Dokdo. And I know it's--Koreans get very upset because every
    time----
        The President. I want to make some news with you.
        Q. Pardon me?
        The President. I'll make some news for you today.
        Q. Yes, sir, that would be great--[laughter]--because, you know,
    Koreans get upset over this island because whenever the Japanese mention
    that--you know, it's like the Japanese expansionism in the region and so
    on. You know, when the U.S.----
        The President. Get ready.
        Q. Yes, so----
        The President. Are you ready for some news?
        Q. I am ready for some news, please.
        The President. First of all, this dispute will be settled by Japan
    and South Korea. As to the database, I asked Condi Rice to review it, and the database will be restored
    to where it was prior, 7 days ago.
        Q. Thank you, sir. That's big news. [Laughter] It is news.
        The President. It is big news.
        Q. Right. And I think Koreans will really appreciate that, because--
    --
        The President. Congratulations on breaking this. [Laughter]

    U.S. Foreign Policy/President's Visit to Asia

        Q. Do you have some vision regarding to this, like, U.S.-Korea-Japan
    sort of trilateral cooperation when you go to Korea?
        The President. Between?
        Q. The U.S., Korea, and Japan.
        The President. Well, look, part of my--one of the reasons why it's
    very important for the United States to have an active presence and to
    establish good bilateral relations with the countries in the region is
    to help foster good relations between countries, whether it be South
    Korea and Japan, or Japan and China; it's essential. And it's in our
    national interest that South Korea have good relations with Japan. And I
    understand there's tensions. I listen very carefully to the respected
    leaders.
        But first of all, we can't fix certain disputes; that will be up to
    the sovereign governments. But we can help facilitate dialogue. We can
    help facilitate understandings.AndsoIthinkit'sveryimportantfor the
    United States to be very active and have a good, solid presence and have
    vibrant

    [[Page 1072]]

    diplomacy, which is what this administration has had.
        Part of the reason that I'm stopping in South Korea prior to going
    to the Olympics--I mean, one could have attempted just to go straight to
    the Olympics, but I want to come to South Korea--I had just come from
    Japan, and it's all part of making sure that our foreign policy is
    active. I would hope that no President would ever dial us out of the Far
    East. Quite the contrary, I think it's very important for us to stay
    actively engaged in the Far East.
        And one such multilateral engagement is the six-party talks, all
    aimed at keeping--dealing with a very delicate issue, but with five
    partners sending the same message to your neighbor to the north. So it's
    part of a foreign policy vision that's multilateral in nature, with
    strong bilateral relations that help create an atmosphere in which old
    grievances and new issues can be solved in a peaceful way.

    Trade

        Q. Are you going to deliver the FTA message to Koreans?
        The President. Absolutely, delivered it yesterday. Went to a meeting
    of the South Korean-U.S. Business Alliance for a reason, I went in there
    to make it clear that this administration absolutely thinks it's
    essential that Congress pass the Korean FTA. And I will deliver it again
    because I know the President is concerned about
    whether or not--you know, he hears talk out of the Congress, and I will
    assure him that this free trade agreement is in our interest, in South
    Korea's interest, and that we want to get it done.
        Q. Thank you.
        The President. Pichai.

    U.S. Foreign Policy/Asia-U.S. Relations

        Q. Mr. President, you mentioned just now that in Bangkok, you're
    going to be sending a message of U.S. commitment to foreign policy, what
    your views are, and that you're going to sprint to the finish. Just--in
    two parts--some would argue that during your Presidency, you know,
    obviously the U.S. is focused on the war on terror--Afghanistan, Iran,
    Iraq--and that meant probably in the views of some that the U.S. was
    less engaged in Asia, especially vis-a-vis countering the influence of
    China, which has grown, and that basically your foreign policy has been
    pretty much like previous administrations, which lacked more higher
    level of proactive stance; some compared it to the Shultz period. How
    would you describe your legacy under your Presidency for Asia and U.S.-
    ASEAN relations?
        And point number two, looking ahead with the changes happening with
    India growing stronger, China growing stronger, that's going to change
    the dynamics of the region and the U.S. is a global player in the world.
    How do you see U.S. role in that region in the future?
        Thank you.
        The President. Let me start with the second, then you can refresh my
    62-year-old memory for the first. [Laughter]
        There's plenty of room for countries to work with--the three
    countries you mentioned with other countries in the region in a
    constructive way. In other words, I don't view the diplomacy as zero
    sum, it's got to be either this country or that country. India and China
    and the United States will provide great opportunities for
    entrepreneurs, businesses throughout the region. And they'll provide
    great opportunities for development of services and goods that people in
    our big markets want. It provides great opportunities for capital flows
    that are--foreign direct investment, which is necessary for economic
    development. It'll provide opportunities to work collaboratively on
    strong strategic areas, security areas. One area will be--there's a
    great opportunity for all of us to cooperate on the environment.
        So I view the emergence of India and China as positives. I think
    it's going to be very important for the United States to stay

    [[Page 1073]]

    engaged, not only with the two nations. If I were Thailand, I'd be
    asking, ``What about us. Will you remember other nations?'' And the
    answer is, absolutely. And one way to do that--the reason I brought up
    multilateralism is one way to stay engaged is through the mechanisms
    like the six-party talks on the Korean issue. Our vision is, once that
    issue gets solved, if North Korea verifiably gives up its weapons,
    programs, ambitions, then the six-party talks can serve as another
    mechanism.
        ASEAN is a place where the United States can remain--should remain
    actively engaged with nations who are saying--say, ``Wait a minute,
    we're your friends, as well. Don't just focus on the big guys; think
    about us.''
        APEC is another very important group of nations where we can work in
    a way that is beneficial, mutually beneficial. And so people may say,
    ``Well, okay, fine, how can you?'' I've gone to every APEC meeting,
    including the one right after September the 11th, 2001; I'm going to
    this one, even after our elections. I'll be semiretired by the time I--
    [laughter]--I'll be still sprinting, but semiretired.
        And in terms of foreign policy in the Far East, it is mistaken if
    someone were to say that my preoccupation was on the war on terror. You
    bet I wanted to make sure that we protected ourselves at home. But
    that's the same sentiment other people have. Secondly, our foreign
    policy has been robust in the Far East. Our relations with your country,
    with South Korea, with Japan, and with China have never been better. And
    it took a lot of work to get relations, bilateral relations, as strong
    as they are. Not many Presidents could say, in the history of U.S.
    diplomacy, that relations with South Korea, Japan, China, and Thailand
    are strong and robust.
        A lot of times, if you're friends with one, you made it hard to be
    friends with another. So as a result of a lot of work, a lot of personal
    diplomacy, as well as a lot of active engagement throughout our
    administration, I can tell you that I am satisfied with the variety of
    relationships.
        Secondly, we've worked on common problems together. Who would have
    ever thought that Japan would have forces in Iraq, or South Korea would
    be alongside a lot of other nations in Afghanistan?
        Q. Need to send more. [Laughter]
        The President. Yes. My only point to you is, is that--or the Taiwan-
    Chinese relationship and that issue. It's a very sensitive issue for the
    Chinese Government. And people who study this very closely will see that
    the issue is in a better place. And I made it abundantly clear that
    there was some red lines for the United States on this issue, that there
    would be no unilateral declaration of independence, that our policy was
    still the same. It's very important for the President to be very
    consistent.
        And my only point to you is, is that I'm very pleased with the state
    of relations now, and I recognize it took a lot of work to get them
    there. But I feel very comfortable in telling you that if there is a
    common problem, I've got personal relationships with the leaders where I
    can sit down and say, here's my point of view, what is yours? And if we
    have a common problem, let's work it out. We've had some common problems
    and some issues that have arisen, and yet I will tell you that relations
    are very cordial and open and honest.
        And so anyway, good question.
        Yes, Mr. Li.

    China-U.S. Relations

        Q. Yes. Thank you very much, indeed, President, for this opportunity
    and your time. And you know that it will be the 30th anniversary of
    establishment of the diplomatic relations with----
        The President. That's a true statement.
        Q. Yes. And I noted yesterday many ministers from your
    administration attended the inauguration ceremony of Chinese new
    chancellery building, Chinese Embassy.
        The President. Yes.

    [[Page 1074]]

        Q. So plus, you've made important increase in the importance of
    bilateral relations. So my question is, how do you evaluate the current
    relations, the welcome of the bilateral relations for the last part of
    30 years, especially near the 8 years under your Presidency?
        The President. Well, thank you very much----
        Q. And which areas do you think two countries could broaden and
    deepen cooperation?
        The President. I do. First, I will be dedicating a new Embassy----
        Q. Oh yes, I'm sure you will preside over the new Embassy.
        The President. I've got a new Embassy going. So yes, there was a
    deal here last night that people in my administration went to. But I'll
    just tell you what I'm going to. I'm going to the Embassy--the new
    Embassy opening in Beijing. Isn't that interesting? Two new Embassies
    open the same year obviously to celebrate the 30th anniversary of what
    has been a very important relationship.
        It will be at that Embassy opening that I will be joined by my
    father, who first introduced me to China in
    1975. I went to visit him----
        Q. And so the friend of Chinese people.
        The President. Yes. And so I spent my time riding a bicycle around
    Beijing. And there was no highrises. So the next time I go as President,
    and it was like going into another world. It was--there were a lot of
    cars, a lot of skyscrapers.
        Q. And you didn't bicycle. [Laughter]
        The President. I did bicycle. I mountain biked with the Chinese
    mountain biking team, the Olympic team--I rode with the Chinese Olympic
    team. As a matter of fact, I'm going to mountain bike again on the
    Olympic--hopefully, on the Olympic course, just to get some exercise.
    [Laughter]
        And so my only point to you is that this has been an evolving
    relationship, and we're both honoring the 30th anniversary of the
    relationship. The fact that both countries are honoring the 30th
    anniversary of the relationship shows that--it's a statement about good
    relations. If we had bad relations, we wouldn't be honoring the 30th. It
    would be, ``Okay, here comes the 30th anniversary, who cares?''
        But this has got a--opening new Embassies in our respective
    capitals, and very fine Embassies--I.M. Pei did the one here, and I'm not sure who designed
    ours, but I know it's going to be a great Embassy--is a signal of how
    important the relationship is.
        I mean, we'll let the historians evaluate the difference between
    what the relationship was like in the eighties, nineties, but I can tell
    you how--my view. One, I've had good relations with--good personal
    relations with Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Secondly, we have worked hard during my time to put
    strategic dialogues in place that broaden and enhance the relationship.
    So Secretary Paulson has worked with
    his two counterparts to deal with economic issues that are--it's very
    important. It's very important for us; it's very important for other
    nations in the region, by the way.
        And you know, we're working the currency issue or trade issues or
    international property rights--or intellectual property rights, I mean.
    And it's an opportunity for our two countries, who've got a interesting
    relationship, to be able to work through common problems and to seize
    common opportunities.
        I've been committed to broadening our defense cooperation and
    exchanges. I think it's going to be very important for--I know it's
    important for our generals and admirals to deal with their counterparts.
    And I believe, more importantly, or as importantly, we ought to be
    getting younger Chinese officers involved with younger U.S. officers.
    Why? To create a feeling of trust.
        You ask how has the relationship evolved. The crisis of my
    administration, the first crisis, was the EP-3. And it was like, ``Oh
    man, this is unbelievable.'' And it--I will tell you--and frankly, it
    took a while to

    [[Page 1075]]

    get phone calls returned, and we were just trying to get information.
    And I'm confident that if a incident like that happened now, there would
    be a much more immediate response because there's more trust between the
    two administrations.
        And that's good for the region. It's good for our bilateral
    relations and good for the region. So I would tell you that ours has
    been an evolving relationship that is in good, solid shape. And that's
    not to say that--on any of these relationships, that there needs to be
    constant work. An American President has got to know two things: one,
    the nature of the person he's dealing with, and the nature of the
    government he's dealing with, and the pressures that government feels.
    And I've worked hard to be a sensitive, open-minded person to that end.
        Gregory.

    China/U.S. Foreign Policy

        Q. Yes.
        The President. How are you, lad?
        Q. Good, thanks.
        The President. Good.
        Q. A lot of people in Hong Kong talk about this. Looking ahead, do
    you think it's important for the American people to sort of view China
    mostly as a strategic competitor or more as a partner?
        The President. I would call it a--I would--I think as we look ahead
    I would view it as a management of a complex relationship, where
    sometimes our national interests are aligned and sometimes our national
    interests are not aligned. They could--and let me just talk about the
    economy, for example. And one reason I call it a complex relationship is
    that here in America, trade with China is not necessarily universally
    accepted as good. It is universally accepted as good in this
    administration. I mean, free and fair trade is good for the world, and I
    believe it's good for this relationship. But it is a--some in America
    view the advent of Chinese manufacturing, particularly at the lower end
    of the economic scale, as direct competition with their own livelihood,
    thereby making the relationship complex.
        Energy--what's very interesting is that if you view China as a
    market, you want them to become more robust and more prosperous. But in
    order to do that, China is going to have to have more energy, and as
    China demands more energy, it creates more global demand relative to a
    slower growing supply, means higher prices for us all.
        It is a very interesting and important relationship made complex by
    globalization, and their constantly changing internal situation,
    particularly when it comes their economy.
        I'm sure you've been reading about the Doha discussions. On the one
    hand, we've got very good relations. On the other hand, it was hard to
    find common ground to get the Doha deal closed. And so it's--your
    readers have got to know that there's opportunity and there's
    challenges. So it's hard to label the relationship one way or the other.
        I will tell you this: An American President is going to have to pay
    very close attention to relations with not only China, but the region.
    And I say the region because if it ever--if the perception is ever that
    the United States is fixated only on China, then you're going to have
    issues with long-time allies, people that have been counting on the
    American support for a period of time.
        And so never can the foreign policy be viewed as zero sum. It's
    always got to be viewed as additive. And my worry for America over time
    is that we've become isolationist and protectionist. I've spoken about
    this quite frequently. Protectionism will be bad for our own economy and
    our world economy, in my judgment. Isolationism will create a lot of
    concern.
        And so the United States has got a forward-leaning foreign policy in
    the Far East, and we have. When people take an objective look at this
    administration, we have

    [[Page 1076]]

    been very much engaged. And I believe I'll be leaving office with the
    Far East in as good as shape as it can be from a U.S. perspective.
        Kenneth. You've already had six questions. [Laughter]

    North Korea/Six-Party Talks

        Q. One other issue on this North Korea nuclear deal. I understand
    it's a headache and you're sprinting as fast as you can, but the North
    Koreans doesn't seem like they're keeping up with the pace. [Laughter]
    So maybe you could give me some more breaking news on this end.
    [Laughter] What about the delisting of North Korea from the terrorist
    list, what about the verification process, what about the North Korea--
    --
        The President. No, no, no, no, no. Sprinting is one thing;
    undermining good policy is another. And multilateral diplomacy is the
    best way to peacefully solve an issue such as the nuclearization or the
    weaponization or the desire to have a nuclear weapon program by the
    North Koreans. I will do nothing to undermine the six-party structure,
    the credibility of the six-party structure, and our partners.
        And therefore, to answer your question, we are very clear that in
    order to move forward in the phase that we're now in--and this is a
    phased-in deal--that there must be verification that we're all happy
    with, a verification mechanism on not only plutonium, but also highly
    enriched uranium, as well as proliferation.
        Q. ----weapons program as well.
        The President. Yes, right. And we will obviously consult very
    closely with our partners. This will be a subject of discussion with the
    President. And I will be sprinting, but patient; sprinting, but
    realistic.

    Freedom Agenda/North Korea

        Q. Okay. Is the North Korean human--North Korean refugees, human
    rights issues will be discussed?
        The President. Absolutely. As you know, I'm a believer in human
    dignity and human rights. I discuss it with all leaders. And I am--for
    example, when it comes to China, we have constantly asked China not to
    send people back into North Korea. I want to thank the South Korean
    people for welcoming their brothers and sisters who have been able to
    escape.
        Q. It's what they need to do.
        The President. Yes, I know.
        Q. We thank you for----
        The President. It's not easy. We need to open up--we have opened up
    our doors. And the first step--the two things on my mind now in North
    Korea are getting rid of the nuclear weapons program, which, as you
    know, can be very destabilizing. When North Korea fires rockets or
    tests, it creates reverberations around the immediate area. And
    secondly, is to recognize--constantly keep in mind the human rights
    violations that take place there.
        Pichai.

    Burma/Vietnam

        Q. Mr. President, again, back to Bangkok, you were going to mention
    something about Burma, questions on Burma.
        The President. I did, yes.
        Q. Obviously, it's an issue with human rights. Burma is a concern
    for the U.S. It's also a concern for quite a number of members of ASEAN.
    But there is a view again that that's one issue that's hindering a more
    advanced cooperation between U.S. and ASEAN as an organization. What's
    your view on this, your take on that?
        The President. I don't think so. I don't think so. I think--I don't
    think--matter of fact, I think our relations are very strong. I think
    they've been strong on counterterrorism and the economy. There's a
    difference about how hard people should push for democracy in Burma. I'm
    at one end of the ledger. And we'll continue to press hard.
        And I do want to thank the Thai Government for its understanding of
    the refugee

    [[Page 1077]]

    issue, particularly as relates to the border policy. I think it's been
    very wise and very humane. My message is going to be one directed to the
    people in Burma when I meet with some of the activists, and Laura is going to be meeting with some of the people that she
    got to know.
        Tell you an interesting story. I included Burma in my last United
    Nations address, and it was a pretty strong statement. And she was in
    the audience there at the U.N. And just as soon as the speech ended she
    got an e-mail from one of the activists she had met, a person that was
    trying to help deal with human suffering.
        And I just thought it was interesting world we're in, in which the
    speech finishes; the word gets out; they e-mail back to Mrs. Bush, or Laura, to thank me, as I walked off the podium. Now,
    it's--my only point to you is that it is very important for us to--I
    understand pressures on countries, and I understand different interests.
    And I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes. But as I do
    so, I never forget certain basic fundamental values. And so we will be--
    I will be and Laura will be expressing our opinion in a way that is, I
    hope, very clear and hopeful to people. Thailand is a democracy.
        Q. We're having some problems.
        The President. Democracy is not easy, right?
        Q. Right.
        The President. On the other hand, it is a democracy, and they'll
    work through an issue, no question about it. The country next door to
    you is not and wants to hear that people remember them. See, one of my
    concerns is that we--that America gets so comfortable they say, ``Who
    cares? What does it matter whether or not somebody has got HIV/AIDS?''
        One of the things on ASEAN you ask about is that part of our AIDS
    initiative that I'm going to go sign a bill this afternoon, which is a
    firm commitment to dealing with disease is in Vietnam. Isn't that
    interesting?
        And my only point will be that we are a compassionate country
    amongst a lot of other things. We are an idealistic country. We act
    for--you know, we act--at least this administration has--not afraid to
    make tough decisions if needed, particularly given the world in which we
    live, in which there are people that are willing to kill the innocent to
    achieve their political objectives.
        But we're also a very compassionate nation. And it's interesting
    that a nation--you asked about ASEAN relations and bilateral relations--
    it's interesting that a nation with which this country had been at war
    is now a country that is receiving HIV/AIDS help to help deal with a
    human catastrophe.
        My trip to Vietnam, by the way, was a fascinating experience when I
    went. And it's an interesting marketplace economy that's beginning to
    grow.
        Q. It is.
        The President. Vibrant. And it provides great opportunities for
    people in the neighborhood.
        Yes, sir, Mr. Li.

    China-U.S. Relations

        Q. Yes. President, just a followup question to my first question.
    And you know the bilateral relations between China and the United States
    had been improved under your Presidency, and now it's--[inaudible]. But
    what would be your expectation and predictions of the future bilateral
    relation under the new American administration, Republican or Democrat?
        President Bush. Yes, thank you. Well, the only thing I can tell you
    with certainty is what it's going to be like for the next 6 months:
    sprinting to the finish. [Laughter]
        Our relations are becoming more and more interwoven and--our
    economic relations are very, you know, intricate and--you know, there's
    dependency in a way; there's a lot of capital gain invested; there's
    marketplaces. As I mentioned, a strategic
    dialoguethatSecretaryPaulsonsetup--
    it's constantly evaluating different opportunities

    [[Page 1078]]

    dealing with the current problems,
    butalsodealingwithstrategicopportunities.
        I would predict to you that whoever follows me will have a--will be
    a combination of an active engagement with a constant reminder of our
    belief in human freedom and human liberty.

    2008 Beijing Olympics/President's Visit to China

        Q. My second----
        The President. That's your third question. [Laughter]
        Q. ----the Beijing, again, is a very important event, not only for
    China, but also for the whole world. So your stance against politicizing
    the Olympic Games is highly--[inaudible]--by Chinese people. So what you
    would like to convey, your messages and wishes to the 29th Beijing
    Olympic Games and nothing special to Chinese people, because Chinese
    people has made tremendous efforts to ensure the Olympic Games is a
    successful event; even sometimes they make some sacrifices.
        The President. Yes. Well, our message is, is that I personally--and
    America respects the Chinese people--respect your history, respect your
    tradition, and I'm honored to have been invited to the games. And I make
    the case to people that by going to the games and respecting the people,
    it gives me a--it gives me credibility with the Government so that we
    can deal with common opportunities and common problems.
        And I'll have a bilateral with Hu Jintao, which
    I'm looking forward to. I enjoy the man. I find him to be a
    straightforward guy; I'm very comfortable in his presence. And we will
    talk about the kinds of issues we always talk about.
        So for me it's going to be a real pleasure to see the Olympics. I'm
    a sportsman; I love sports. As I mentioned, I'm looking forward--I hope
    I'll be riding my mountain bike on the mountain bike trail. I'll
    probably be taking the easiest route because the hills looked quite
    steep the last time I was there.
        And I'm going to go to see some of the events. As I understand it, I
    think we've got a chance to go see the United States basketball team
    versus China, which ought to be a pretty interesting event. I bet it's
    pretty noisy, as I understand the great Yao Ming--
    [laughter]--who plays for my old hometown, Houston--the Houston
    Rockets--foot is healed. I hope so, because it will make it a very
    interesting contest.
        I look forward to watching the fan reaction and to seeing good
    healthy competition. I am fascinated by the Chinese Olympics teams'
    efforts to capture the most medals. I think good competition is very
    healthy. They're going to--and so it'll be fun to watch, and it'll be
    really interesting to see not only the sports and to feel the atmosphere
    of the Olympics--I've never been to a summer Olympics before--but also
    to cheer on my team, because our objective is to get more medals than
    anybody. That's what competition is about.
        And if we do, we'll be gracious in victory, and if we don't, we'll
    be humble in defeat. But I will be there as the President of the country
    cheering the team when it comes in the Olympic stadium, going by
    different venues, and just letting them know America is cheering for
    them. And so that's going to be exciting.
        And as I say, there will be diplomacy. We're opening a new Embassy.
    I'll have a bilateral dinner, a lunch with the
    President, a meeting, and then I think his wife
    and my wife will join us, so it'll be a nice
    social occasion. And then there will be the Olympic committees and all
    the stuff you're supposed to do.

    2008 Beijing Olympics/China-U.S. Relations

        Q. But what kind of specific events you would like, you and Mrs.
    Laura Bush would like most, and you will watch during the----
        The President. Yes. Well, I like a lot of sports. Unfortunately,
    we're not going to

    [[Page 1079]]

    be there--the most exciting, in many ways for kind of a baby boomer like
    me, is the track and field. That's like--that's it, to watch the
    sprinters and the different big events and----
        White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. Get
    some tips, get some sprinting tips.
        The President. Yes--[laughter]--sprinting tips. That's Kenneth.
    [Laughter] We're not going to be there for that. So, you know what,
    we'll see. I'm pretty relaxed about it. Not every single minute of every
    day has to be totally organized, and so I'll be with a lot of my family,
    and they're fun to hang around with. I'm sure we'll walk around the
    different venue sites and just get a sense for the whole atmosphere of
    people from all around the world coming to Beijing to compete in the
    Olympic Games. That's going to be a proud moment for the Chinese people.
        And I made a decision not to politicize the games; this is for
    athletics. There's plenty of time for politics, and I'm confident I'll
    have time for politics and, you know--look, I've met with the Chinese
    President a lot. This isn't like once every 4 years
    you sit down with the man. I meet with him all the time, it seems like,
    at these different forums where the United States is at the table with a
    lot of other nations in the region.
        And I have got very cordial relations, and it's important to be able
    to have those kind of relations, because he's got
    to tell me what's on his mind and I've got to tell him what's on my mind
    in order to be able to deal with problems. And I think when people study
    my Presidency and find out how Bush conducted foreign policy, they'll
    see I don't shy away from things; I am not a shy person. And if we have
    a problem, we can discuss it. And so the first time I met with your
    President at Camp David--first South Korean
    President to ever go to Camp David; he came--I knew there was some
    potential problems. And I wanted to put him in a frame of mind, in an
    atmosphere where he'd feel comfortable.

    President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea

        Q. Well, you have a knack to charm other leaders, and he was
    fascinated, actually.
        The President. He's an interesting guy.
        Q. Yes.
        The President. He told me a fabulous story about his--you know, he's
    an elder of a huge church, and they asked him to be an elder. And he
    said, ``No, I need to park cars to prove to myself and others that I
    deserve it in the first place.'' A very interesting story, I thought.

    Air Quality in China

        Q. Are you worried about the air quality in Beijing? [Laughter]
        The President. Am I worried about it?
        Q. Yes, do you worry about it? [Laughter]
        The President. I'm sure I can adjust. I don't know. I'm going
    anyway. I mean, I will be there. And I don't know what it's like. The
    only way to find out is to go. I'm sure there's all kinds of stories.
        I've read the paper today that the air quality was down. Who knows
    what it's going to be like. We'll deal with it.
        Yes, last question. I've got to go to the electronic media, with
    people who have got beautiful faces. [Laughter]

    Chinese Leadership/China-U.S. Relations

        Q. Well, continuing to talk about the leaders, the Chinese leaders,
    what has surprised you about your dealings over the last 8 years with
    Chinese leadership?
        The President. That's an interesting question. One thing that
    interests me is to watch China's leaders deal with the benefits and
    challenges of a marketplace. In other words, this is a country that has
    got a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of people to employ.
        And they are committed to, in many ways, marketplace principles,
    particularly as

    [[Page 1080]]

    they have invited in foreign capital. And it's been interesting to watch
    them deal with a combination of the need for raw material versus the--
    from the foreign policy implications of dealing with a country that has
    a lot of raw material. The classic case is Iran, where I have spent a
    lot of time with the Chinese President talking
    about the dangers of Iran having a nuclear weapon, knowing full well
    that they need fuel in order to meet their own internal pressures.
        And I'll repeat to you: Hu Jintao has been very
    open in many ways about his concerns and the pressures he feels, as have
    I. And I feel comfortable. And by the way, that's not easy when there is
    a language barrier. And yet I can report to you that we do have cordial,
    relaxed conversations in spite of the fact that we both have
    interpreters. It's much easier when you are dealing with a person that
    speaks your own language. Since the only one I speak is English, it's
    important to have English speakers.
        But here is a man who I have had some--I feel
    comfortable talking about his family, and he asks about mine. And that
    may sound trite to you, but nevertheless, it's a part of getting
    comfortable with each other. So I guess what's interesting is to--just
    understanding the tensions that an emerging economy can feel, and
    particularly given Chinese--the Chinese role in international affairs,
    for example, their presence in the U.N. Security Council, Perm 5, which
    creates interesting tensions.
        I would say that there's been a--it's just been interesting to
    watch, and interesting to participate with people. I mean, the Taiwan
    issue was a very touchy issue for a while, causing me to say in the Oval
    Office--that which is now well-chronicled--that the United States does
    not support a unilateral declaration of independence. Because I wanted
    to make sure that our message was clear, but also that the relationship
    was in a way--not our relationship, but others' relationship with China
    was in a way that it could evolve peacefully and constructively.
        Okay, guys.

    Six-Party Talks/Freedom Agenda/Trade

        Q. Mr. President, you mentioned about sprinting. Bullet points: What
    if you could guard just three points, what is left to be done in the
    sprint?
        The President. There is a lot left to be done. One, make sure that
    the six-party talks continue to--are you talking about the Far East, or
    just in general?
        Q. Yes, the region. The region. Six-party talks, what else?
        The President. It was--like, total agenda? There's a lot.
        Q. Sure. But I'm just saying----
        The President. But in the Far East--absolutely. Six-party talks is
    one. Go to APEC and have a successful conclusion. Meet with ASEAN
    nations to leave the relationship in a solid way. Continue pressing hard
    on the human rights agenda, human freedom agenda, a religious freedom
    agenda. There's three issues right there.
        White House Press Secretary Perino. Your
    free trade agreement.
        The President. Yes, free trade agreement. Absolutely. Concluding a
    relationship with--continuing to work with Japan on their defense forces
    posture, particularly given OEF. I mean, there's a lot to be done.
        And just to make sure that people understand, the bilateral
    relationships are vital. Let's see, I've been to Japan three times as
    President; South Korea is going to be my second time; China, four times.
    I mean, I have been there a lot. Is that right, four times to China?
    Yes.
        National Security Council Senior Director for East Asian Affairs
    Dennis C. Wilder. And this is your ninth
    trip to Asia.
        The President. Ninth trip to Asia.

    South Korean Athletes

        Q. But still you will come----

    [[Page 1081]]

        The President. I'm looking forward to it. You know the thing that
    amazes me? The South Korean women golfers. [Laughter] Look at a
    women's--have you ever looked at the scoreboard?
        Q. Yes, sure.
        The President. It's unbelievable.
        Q. I don't know----
        The President. Yes, you're supposed to know. If you look at the
    scoreboard, it's phenomenal. You talk about an excellent athletic
    program.
        Q. It's actually a Korean-born, American-trained.
        The President. You think so? I'm not sure. I know the woman who won
    the LPGA, is that what it was--won the Open is
    Korean-born, American-trained. But I'm not so sure----
        Q. Mostly they come--like they go to school in Florida or Arizona,
    or something like that. So they----
        The President. All of them?
        Q. Like, I would say 80 percent. They come to U.S. They work out----
        The President. Okay. But they have got a pretty--they must have a
    young girls' program that's pretty active too, to get people interested
    in the first place.
        Q. Yes, I think Korean women are much more disciplined than Korean
    men. [Laughter]
        White House Press Secretary Perino. That's
    not just in Korea. [Laughter]
        The President. Thank you all greatly.
        Q. Thank you.
        The President. Enjoyed it. Thank you, buddy.

    Note: The interview began at 1:20 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Samak
    Sundaravej of Thailand; architect I.M. Pei; former President Jiang Zemin
    of China; President Hu Jintao of China and his wife Liu Yongqing; Yao
    Ming, center, National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets; and
    golfer Inbee Park, winner of the 2008 U.S. Women's Open. A reporter
    referred to former Secretary of State George P. Shultz. The transcript
    was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on July 31. A tape was
    not available for verification of the content of this interview.