[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[August 9, 2008]
[Pages 1129-1131]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
August 9, 2008

    Good morning. I'm speaking to you from Beijing, where I've come to 
support American athletes participating in the Olympic Games. This is a 
moment of pride for our Olympians and the great Nation they represent, 
and Laura and I are honored to share it with 
them.
    In addition to attending the Olympics, my schedule includes meeting 
with China's President, dedicating a new U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and 
worshiping at a local church. During my time here, I'm expressing 
America's deep concerns about freedom and human rights in China. This 
trip has reaffirmed my belief that men and women who aspire to speak 
their conscience and worship their God are no threat to the future of 
China; they are the people who will make China a great nation in the 
21st century.

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    One of the most striking parts of this trip is seeing how much China 
has changed. I first visited the country more than three decades ago, 
when my dad was America's representative in 
Beijing. Poverty was rampant, and the streets swarmed with bicycles. 
Today, China is sprinting into the modern era. Beijing is covered in 
skyscrapers and filled with cars, and the people of China have more 
connections to the world than ever before.
    These changes present the Chinese people, the American people, and 
the world with tremendous opportunities. So over the past 8 years, 
America has sought to put our relationship with China on a more solid 
and principled footing. We have advanced both our nations' interests by 
expanding free and fair trade and encouraging the rise of a Chinese 
middle class, which can be an enormous market for American exports. We 
have also cooperated on other shared challenges, from fighting pandemic 
disease to opposing North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
    At the same time, America has spoken candidly and consistently about 
our concerns over the Chinese Government's behavior. We have made it 
clear that trusting their people with greater freedom is necessary for 
China to reach its full potential. We have emphasized that being a 
global economic leader carries with it the duty to act responsibly on 
matters from energy to the environment to development and Africa.
    Only China can decide what course it will follow, but I'm optimistic 
about the prospects. Young people who grow up with freedom in one area 
of their lives will ultimately demand freedom in other areas. The China 
of the future will reflect its own culture and traditions, but it will 
also reflect the universal aspirations of mankind. And there's no deeper 
human desire than liberty.
    America's relationship with China is one element of our broader 
strategy for the region. When I took office, I brought a clear 
conviction that America is a Pacific nation, and our engagement with 
Asia should be stronger than ever before. We've acted on that conviction 
by pursuing four broad objectives.
    We bolstered all five of our treaty alliances in the Asia-Pacific 
region: Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and two countries I visited 
this week, South Korea and Thailand. We have strengthened our 
relationships with other free societies in Asia, including India, the 
world's largest democracy, and Indonesia, a democratic nation that is 
home to more Muslims than any other nation on Earth. We have seized 
opportunities for prosperity by negotiating new free trade agreements, 
including an historic agreement with South Korea, an agreement which our 
United States Congress must pass. And we helped bring together nations 
throughout the Asia-Pacific to fight terrorism, seek an end to tyranny 
in Burma, respond to natural disasters, and address other challenges to 
our people and our prosperity.
    My trips to Asia as President have brought many uplifting moments. 
One of the most moving came this week in Seoul, when I spoke to American 
troops at the Yongsan Garrison. These men and women are carrying the 
burdens of military life far from home. Yet in their faces you can see a 
quiet pride that comes from having an important job and doing it right. 
These brave Americans are preserving peace, and they're sending a 
broader message about our approach toward Asia. Now and always, the 
United States will keep our word to our friends. We will stand 
confidently for liberty. And we will advance our Nation's interests and 
ideals by staying engaged in this pivotal part of the world.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:20 p.m. on August 7 at the Westin 
Beijing Chaoyang hotel in Beijing, China, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m., 
e.d.t., on August 9. In his address, the President referred to President 
Hu Jintao of

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China. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on August 8, but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast. Due to the 12-hour time difference, the radio address was 
broadcast after the President's remarks in Beijing. The Office of the 
Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this 
address.