    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 46 (Monday, November 21, 1994)]
    [Pages 2376-2382]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's News Conference With President Fidel Ramos of the
    Philippines in Manila

    November 13, 1994

        President Ramos. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good evening, ladies and
    gentlemen. Today President Clinton and I took concrete steps towards
    enhancing Philippine-American relations. During our bilateral meeting, I
    expressed my sincere appreciation to President Clinton for the
    substantial participation of the United States Armed Forces in the
    commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Leyte landing, 3 weeks ago.
        Our meeting this afternoon enabled us to discuss a wide range of
    issues with direct import on our bilateral relations and the peace and
    stability of the Pacific. I acknowledged our debt of gratitude to
    America's commitment, to America's strength, and to America's keeping
    faith with her ideals and values in such areas as Haiti, the Persian
    Gulf, and the Korean Peninsula.
        We both agreed to build our partnership on the basis of mutual
    respect and mutual benefit, reinforced by our common commitment to
    democracy and the rule of law. Presi-

    [[Page 2377]]

    dent Clinton and I recognize the value of enhancing the security and
    stability of the Asia-Pacific region and reiterated our commitment to
    the peaceful resolution of conflicts. We agreed that only under such
    conditions can the full economic growth and prosperity of the Asia-
    Pacific region be realized.
        I assured President Clinton that the Philippines will continue to
    support the peacekeeping initiatives of the United States and the United
    Nations, as we have recently manifested in a dispatch to Haiti, upon
    initial contingent of 50 international police monitors, or IPM, from
    this country. And I also congratulated him for the United States role in
    the series of breakthrough agreements for peace and development in the
    Middle East and in the Korean Peninsula which has lifted our hopes for
    its eventual denuclearization.
        I have been assured, in turn, by President Clinton that they will
    encourage a higher level of investments by Americans. I also
    acknowledged his government's support for our bid to attain newly
    industrializing country, or NIC status, by the turn of the century. We
    further agreed to find ways and means to improve our two-way trade.
        The United States continues to be our number one trading partner,
    and we believe that we can greatly expand our trade by the further
    lowering of trade barriers.
        To accelerate trade liberalization, President Clinton and I agreed
    on the urgency of the ratification of the Uruguay round of the General
    Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by member countries. I assured him of the
    Philippines' commitment to trade liberalization and investment
    facilitation, which must be accompanied by conditions of national
    stability and political will.
        We also agreed that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC
    Leaders Summit in Indonesia, will be a landmark forum that will shape
    the future course of the economy of the entire Asia-Pacific area and,
    indeed, of the world. And we both affirmed the value of the Philippines-
    U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, or the MDT, and its contribution to regional
    security and stability. We agreed that our joint exercises, which are
    planned by the Mutual Defense Board, should be continued to ensure the
    interoperability of military units.
        I appreciate President Clinton's effort to help resolve the
    longstanding issue of the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II
    with the United States Government. Even as I acknowledged the concern of
    leading members of the U.S. Congress for the restoration of Filipino
    veterans' rights. I welcome these assurances that the United States will
    work hand in hand with the Philippine Government in helping to promote
    the welfare of Amerasians in the Philippines.
        President Clinton and I renewed our commitment to the protection of
    the environment and the preservation of the world ecological balance.
        And lastly, I reiterated my appreciation for the warm welcome,
    hospitality extended by President Clinton and the American people during
    my visit to the United States last year. We look forward to moving
    Philippines-United States partnership to a higher and more mutually
    beneficial level in the years to come.
        Thank you very much. Salamat.
        President Clinton. Thank you very much. First, let me thank
    President Ramos for the warm welcome that the United States delegation
    has received here in the Philippines.
        We had a very good bilateral discussion in which the President
    expressed the Philippine position and the interest of the Filipino
    people very articulately to me on a very large number of issues.
        I would like to point out in general that over the last 50 years,
    the relationship between the United States and the Philippines has
    changed, has grown, has matured, but we are still very much bound
    together in ways that I think are positive. There are, after all,
    100,000 Americans and more who make their home here permanently, and in
    the United States there are about 1\1/2\ million Americans of Philippine
    ancestry.
        We admire your democracy, and we have especially admired all the
    things which have been done in the last 8 years. We have an important
    security relationship. You heard the President talk about the joint
    exercises. I also was able to inform President Ramos that the United
    States will be able to supply the Philippine armed forces with two C-
    130's soon and that we will continue to discuss the possibility of
    shared equipment to

    [[Page 2378]]

    build up the strength and the security of the Philippine armed forces.
        We talked about regional security in general, and I want to again
    thank publicly President Ramos for the support that he has given to the
    agreement we have reached in cooperation with the South Koreans and the
    Japanese with North Korea, in which North Korea has agreed to become a
    nonnuclear state and to remove that threat of the proliferation of
    weapons of mass destruction. I also thanked President Ramos for the
    participation of the Philippines in our remarkable international
    coalition in Haiti.
        Finally, we discussed our economic relationships. Most of what
    should be said has already been said by President Ramos, but let me say
    that I was deeply impressed when the President came to the United States
    and told me that his new policy was trade, not aid. That's a welcome
    message.
        The United States purchased $5 billion in products from the
    Philippines last year. We are the largest investor here. We like being
    the largest purchaser and the largest investor. This morning, the
    Secretary of State hosted a breakfast which I attended for leading
    American business interests here, and I pledged to the President I would
    do what I could to increase the interest of the American business
    community in investment in the Philippines.
        We both support GATT and hope that both of our legislative bodies
    will ratify it shortly. I am going home when I leave the APEC conference
    to achieve that objective, and I hope we do. I believe we will. And we
    are going to APEC with a view toward continuing to break down the
    barriers to trade and investment.
        The United States will and must remain engaged in the Pacific region
    for security reasons and for economic reasons. One-third of our exports,
    supporting some 2 million American jobs, already go to the Asian-Pacific
    region. This is a very important thing for us. And the fact that we have
    the sort of relationship we do and that both of us are now going to
    Indonesia to try to deepen the idea that we should be working together
    across the vast Pacific to support the prosperity and future of our
    respective peoples is a very important one indeed.
        So for all those reasons, I consider this to be a successful trip.
    And again, I thank the President for his kind hospitality and for his
    frank and open and straightforward way of stating the position of the
    Philippine Government and the Philippine people.
        Thank you.

    Philippine-American Military Cooperation

        Q. Good evening, sirs. My question is for President Ramos. Earlier
    today you applauded America's intention to remain engaged in the Asia-
    Pacific region. There has been much talk lately of U.S. plans for
    prepositioning war material within the territories of strategically
    located countries, such as the Philippines. Even now, reports indicate
    Manila and Washington are looking at a proposed agreement allowing U.S.
    warships to resupply and to refuel in the Philippines. Given these
    developments, in what direction do you want Philippine-American military
    cooperation to change or to evolve into during your term, or just how
    active a military presence do you want America to have both in the
    Philippines and within ASEAN's territory in the future?
        President Ramos. Thank you.
        First of all, we should distinguish between the floating depot issue
    and the lesser issue of servicing, which includes rewatering, refueling,
    and minor repairs and also rest and recreation. The servicing aspect is
    already being done, and some part of this would be the visits last year
    of a British--of an American ship, plus other ships from other
    countries. We're doing this for them. And the most recent example is the
    visit here in Manila and later on in the Subic area, of the ships that
    went on to participate in the Leyte landings.
        In regard to the so-called floating depots, we really have not seen
    any official proposal in regard to that kind of an arrangement. And we
    will, however, be happy to consider this at the level of the working
    officials, meaning at the level of the mutual defense board. But by no
    means is that a policy right now of the Philippine Government.
        Now, as far as directions that I would like to see the security
    relationship between the Philippines and the U.S. is concerned, I think

    [[Page 2379]]

    I said that on many occasions during the course of this day--I said we
    would like to be closely related with the U.S. under our U.S.-Philippine
    Mutual Defense Treaty which has been in force since 1951. And under this
    arrangement, we're able to have combined and joint exercises to test the
    interoperability of our military units.
        The Philippines derives a great deal of benefit from this kind of an
    exchange because we get to know what are the new technologies in
    military science. And also, under the treaty, there is a regular
    mechanism for consultation among our highest military officials,
    represented on the part of the U.S. by the commander in chief of the
    Pacific no less, and our chief of staff of the armed forces.
        So we feel that this is a very important relationship, and the
    approach must be based on our commitments under the Philippine-U.S.
    Mutual Defense Treaty.
        Thank you.

    Republican Leadership

        Q. I'd like to ask President Clinton--sir, a lot of world leaders
    are wondering about the meaning of Tuesday's elections. As you go into
    APEC and talk with these other world leaders, what will you tell them
    about the Republican takeover of Congress and what that means about the
    strength of your administration and the direction of U.S. foreign
    policy?
        President Clinton. First, I would say that I don't expect it to have
    any impact on our foreign policy. The Republican House and Senate
    leaders--and I spoke, as you know, before I came--they expressed their
    support for this trip and for our policy generally. The foreign policies
    that I have pursued, particularly the mission that I'm on now with
    regard to APEC, have enjoyed broad bipartisan support among centrists in
    both parties. And insofar as they have drawn opposition, they have drawn
    some opposition again from both parties, particularly in the trade area.
        But I believe that the position of the United States is certainly
    just as strong as it ever has been. Beyond that, we do not have a
    parliamentary system. The power vested by the Constitution in the
    President will represent the United States in foreign affairs,
    particularly in areas of this kind, is quite clear.
        But the most important thing is, I'm convinced that what I'm doing
    is in the interest of all the American people without regard to party
    and is supported by leaders of both parties in the United States
    Congress.
        I hope you wear that tie at home sometime when we are having a dark
    day. [Laughter]

    Toxic Waste Clean-up

        Q. Good evening. President Clinton, in a hearing at the Philippine
    Senate a few days ago, a group of scientists, citing Pentagon report,
    identified more than 40 sites in Clark and Subic believed to be
    contaminated with hazardous waste. Your Government has offered financial
    assistance and technical support for surveys to check if there are
    environmental damages in both former U.S. military bases. Is your
    Government willing to accept moral as well as financial responsibility
    for cleaning up the bases in case this service proves that there are
    toxic wastes in Clark and Subic?
        President Clinton. First of all, I'd like to point out that when the
    United States left Subic Bay, we spent about $6 million on clean-up, and
    we left 5,000 acres of virgin tropical forest, which was an enormous
    environmental resource for the Philippines. We have, since that time,
    worked very hard to cooperate with the authorities here about what the
    condition of Subic Bay is and each area of the bay. It's a vast area, as
    you know. We will continue to do that and to exchange information and to
    work on it.
        We have no reason to believe at this time that there is a big
    problem that we left untended, first of all. We clearly are not mandated
    under any treaty obligations to do more, but we are concerned. We want
    Subic Bay to be a vast economic resource for the Philippines in a way
    that preserves the environmental heritage of the area.
        We were very pleased and supportive of the agreement signed, I
    believe just today, and witnessed by the Secretary of State, between
    Federal Express and the authorities there to develop the area in a
    responsible way.
        So we're excited by this; we want it to be a very good thing for
    you. We have spent some money there, we have given some important
    environmental resources, and we are

    [[Page 2380]]

    continuing to work on it. But in the absence of the evidence of some
    serious problem that we left untended. I don't think I can commit at
    this moment to further expenditures. But I can tell you we are
    continuing to work with the Philippine Government on this, and we will
    continue to do so.
        President Ramos. May I just add by way of confirmation, ladies and
    gentlemen, that I brought up the issue during our one-on-one talk with
    President Clinton, and he readily agreed that at the level of the
    technical people and the working people, principally in the departments
    of foreign affairs, environment and natural resources as well as the
    base authorities, that we put all our expertise together about the
    subject, because we have studies on our side, there are records on the
    part of the U.S. Government which have not yet been thoroughly collated,
    so that we will get to the truth of the matter. And while it may not be
    just toxic waste, we may really be talking here about pollutants which
    could have been sourced from many other places in addition to the naval
    forces in Subic. But anyway, we will get a good effort going together.
    Thank you.
        President Clinton. If I could add just one more sentence. President
    Ramos did bring this up and we talked about it in some detail. What I
    would like to say is, on a matter like this, I think it is very
    important not to let the general policy pronouncements or the rhetoric
    outrun the facts we have on the case, so we decided we should focus on
    finding the facts now, and when we find them, deal then with the facts
    as they are.

    Cooperation With Republican Leaders

        Q. Mr. President, Newt Gingrich, who is likely to be the next
    Speaker of the House, said the other day that he thought on the many
    things where he believes he represents the vast majority of America
    there will be no compromise. Cooperation, he said, yes; but compromise,
    no. Given this, do you expect to be able to work with Republicans, and
    can you move far enough toward the center to work with them and still
    not alienate the core constituency of your own party and perhaps invite
    a challenger for renomination?
        President Clinton. Well, first of all, I think that any rational
    analysis of our position would say that's where we have been. It was not
    the opposition party, it was the Democrats that reduced the size of the
    Federal Government and reduced the Federal deficit for the first time in
    a very long time, the Democrats that passed a crime bill that had the
    toughest punishments of any crime bill in American history. So I think
    we will be in the center.
        There are several specific things that they have advocated that I
    have long agreed with. To mention just two, I ran on the line-item veto,
    and I ran on welfare reform. And I presented a welfare reform bill to
    the Congress last spring. So I think there will be other areas in which
    we can work together. I am still looking for ways--the Vice President
    and I have had at least three different discussions, two before and once
    since the election, about how we can carry forward our downsizing the
    Federal Government with the reinventing Government initiative. So I
    think there will be many areas in which we can work together.
        Will there be some areas of disagreement? Of course there will. What
    is my standard? My standard is, does it make America stronger or weaker
    to do this? As I said, does it weaken our posture abroad in terms of
    national defense and economic strength? Does it weaken our posture at
    home in terms of building stronger families, better schools, more high-
    wage jobs, and safer streets? That is my standard. Insofar as I can work
    with them, I will do my best to do it.
        But my job as President is to make America strong and make the
    working people of the country who voice their frustrations, their
    anxieties, their uncertainties, more secure and make sure their
    children's future is better. That will be what guides me, not the
    politics of the matter but what makes America strong.

    Democratic Governments in Asia

        Q. My first question is for President Clinton. The second question
    will be for President Ramos. President Clinton, some political analysts
    read your Manila visit as a statement of support to democracy in view of
    the authoritarian governments of other Eastern countries. Do they read
    you right? If so, what global, and in particular, American interest

    [[Page 2381]]

    is served by a democratic government in Asia?
        And for President Ramos, are you satisfied with the support you are
    getting from friends like the United States on the path of democracy
    that you have taken?
        President Clinton. I want to make sure--my hearing is not the best;
    I want to make sure that I heard the question right. You asked me what
    American interests were served by the advance of democracy in Asia. Is
    that right?
        Q. Why you chose the Philippines, chose to visit the Philippines of
    all the other countries.
        President Clinton. I chose to come to the Philippines partly because
    of the stunning success and resurgence of democracy here in the last 8
    years. I chose to come here because I thought I ought to be here during
    this period when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the return
    to freedom of the Philippines. And I came here, frankly, because of the
    relationship I enjoy with your President and my immense admiration for
    him and for what he is trying to do not only in preserving democracy and
    enhancing individual rights but in modernizing the Philippine economy
    and trying to give the people here the kind of prosperity that they
    deserve for their hard work, which is legendary the world over. So those
    are the three reasons that I came here.
        Do I believe that democracy in general advances the cause and the
    interest of the United States? Yes, I do. Democracies are highly
    unlikely to go to war with each other. They are more likely to keep
    their word to each other. They are more likely to see their future
    greatness in terms of developing the human potential of their people
    rather than building walls around their country, either economic walls
    or military walls.
        No democracies are perfect. All democracies have their ups and
    downs. But on balance, the world has been much better served by the
    march of democracy. And the United States is more secure when there are
    more democracies. Our national defense interests are threatened less;
    our economic interests are enhanced more. So that is why I intend to
    continue to push this throughout the world.
        President Ramos. I may just make two points very clear. First of
    all, we are trying to achieve economic and social reform in this country
    under a democratic framework. While this may be a little more time
    consuming and may require a little more patience than other systems, we
    feel we are on the right track. And we are now seeing the initial fruits
    of that devotion to the rule of laws, to people power, and to the
    overall democratic system.
        Secondly, I think no one can ignore the fact that over the last 20
    years, there are now more democracies functioning in Asia-Pacific, our
    region, than there were two decades ago. And so, to me, this is the
    right track. And the Philippines is following precisely that way to its
    political, social, economic, and cultural development.
        Q. Mr. President, it's clear that security and trade will be among
    the issues discussed at the APEC conference, but there is some
    speculation at this point that perhaps human rights will not come up.
    Specifically, do you intend on discussing human rights with China and
    Indonesia?
        President Clinton. Absolutely. Let me make a distinction here
    between the APEC conference itself, the purpose of which by the very
    name of the group is economic cooperation, and the bilateral meetings
    that I will have with the leaders of the individual countries. And in
    both the cases that you mentioned, human rights has been discussed in
    every meeting I've had and will be discussed in these meetings.
        It's an important interest of the United States. We are engaging
    these countries in many, many areas, across a broad range of areas. And
    human rights is too important, particularly now, to pass by us. So it
    will be a point of discussion in those bilateral meetings.
        Press Secretary Myers. That concludes the press conference. Thank
    you very much.
        President Clinton. Thank you.
        President Ramos. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to make
    a small presentation to President Clinton, since he stayed for such a
    short while and could not play golf in our Malacanang Golf Club.

    [At this point, President Clinton was presented with a hat.]

    [[Page 2382]]

        President Clinton. You owe me a golf game. Thank you.

    Note: The President's 79th news conference began at 6:20 p.m. in
    Kalayaan Hall in Malacanang Palace.