[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 12 (Monday, March 26, 2001)]
[Pages 491-493]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Vice Premier Qian Qichen of China and 
an Exchange With Reporters

March 22, 2001

    President Bush. It's my honor to welcome our distinguished guest 
from China. China is a great country. China has got vast potential, and 
we've got common interests in China. And I look forward to discussing 
our interests. Our relationship, of course, will be a complex 
relationship; there will be areas where we can find agreement, such as 
trade. There will be some areas where we have some disagreements.
    I look forward to committing to this distinguished leader that any 
disagreements we will have, we will conduct ourselves with mutual 
respect. I will be firm, and I suspect he will be firm, in our opinions, 
but we will do so in a respectful way. It is in our Nation's best 
interests that we have good relations with China.
    And before I introduce our distinguished guest, I do want to say how 
much I'm looking forward to going to China. I'll be going next fall; the 
Government has invited me to go to Beijing. I accept the invitation. 
We'll work out the arrangements, but I'm really looking forward to it.
    As a young man, I visited my mother and dad in China in 1975, and I 
look forward to my return. I can't wait to see the change, the contrast 
between when I was a younger fellow and now, kind of an older guy. 
[Laughter] But I'm looking forward to coming to your country, sir.
    Welcome.
    Vice Premier Qian. I fully agree to what President Bush just said. 
Indeed, China and the United States are major countries. To maintain 
friendly relations and cooperation between China and the United States 
is in the interest of Asia, the Pacific region, and the world at large.
    Where we have shared interests, we can advance our relationship 
forward. Where we disagree, we can have very good exchange of views. 
Some issues can be approached in the spirit of seeking common ground, 
while shelving the differences.

[[Page 492]]

    I'm sure ways can be found to solve all the problems. I view my 
visit as a very successful one, because in the exchange of letters, 
President Jiang and President Bush already reached common consensus, 
which has laid a solid foundation for the growth of our relationship in 
the new century.
    We are looking forward to welcoming President Bush in China in the 
coming fall.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.

Gao Zhan/Taiwan

    Q. What do you have to say, sir, to your visitor about the detention 
of an American University professor and, until recently, her husband and 
son, who is an American citizen? And secondly, are you inclined to allow 
the sale of destroyers to Taiwan?
    President Bush. I will echo the sentiments that the Secretary of 
State said today about the fact that a U.S. citizen was detained without 
any notification. I look forward to discussing this with our honorable 
guest and will do so.
    We have obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act, and we'll honor 
those obligations. No decision has been made yet as to the sale of 
weapons to Taiwan.
    One of our guests from the Chinese press.

President's Upcoming Visit to China

    Q. Mr. President, what are your expectations for your forthcoming 
trip, October, to Shanghai and Beijing?
    President Bush. I look forward to seeing the modernization that has 
taken place. I look forward to seeing the beautiful countryside that I 
remember so well.
    But most of all, I look forward to getting to know the leaders of 
China. I think the best thing I can do is to--the best thing our 
delegation will do is to be able to sit down, face to face, and have an 
honest dialog.
    People will find that I'm a straightforward person, that I represent 
my country's interests in a very straightforward way, but I will do so 
with respect.
    Q. Mr. President, is there anything that China can say or do that 
would influence your decision about which weapons to sell Taiwan?
    President Bush. This meeting will give me a chance to confirm the 
fact that I will honor our obligations under the Taiwan relations law. I 
look forward to explaining that as clearly as I can to our distinguished 
guest. If he cares to bring up the subject and wishes to make a case, I 
will be glad to listen, but no decision has been made yet. And I'll do 
what I think is in the best interests of our relationships and in the 
best interests of conforming to obligations we have.
    Q. Mr. President, may I speak in Chinese?
    President Bush. Are you with the Chinese press, because your English 
is perfect.
    Q. Yes.
    President Bush. You speak better English than I do. [Laughter]

Human Rights/Former President Bush

[At this point, the journalist spoke several words in Chinese and then 
resumed in English.]

    Q. ----about the gathering outside of the Falun Gong. The State 
Department has decided to sponsor a resolution to condemn the human 
rights. And for the past few years it has been failed. And I just 
wonder, Mr. President, what are you going to try to tell the Chinese 
side how to improve their human rights?
    And my second question is regarding--the Chinese seem very warm to 
your father; they come, delegation after delegation, visiting your 
father. Are you going to be teached by your father regarding your China 
policy?
    President Bush. Well, the Chinese, I'm convinced, like my father 
because he married well. [Laughter] My mother is very well respected in 
China, as is my dad, because they spent time there, and they befriended 
a lot of folks who are now leaders.
    It will come as no surprise to our Chinese guest that I'm a believer 
in religious freedom, and I will make a--state it politely and as 
clearly as I can that ours is a nation that respects religious freedom; 
ours is a nation that honors religious freedom; and that our 
relationship will move forward, but it will certainly be a lot easier to 
move forward in a constructive way when our people with whom we conduct 
our affairs honor religious freedom within their borders.
    Q. Thank you.

[[Page 493]]

    President Bush. I'd like to thank the press for not violating the 
beeper policy. [Laughter]
    Q. We didn't want to get Gordon [Assistant Press Secretary Johndroe] 
in trouble again. [Laughter]
    President Bush. Gordon became an international figure. [Laughter]

Note: The President spoke at 4:03 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to scholar Gao Zhan, an unpaid fellow 
at American University, who has been detained in China since February 
11, and her husband, Xue Donghua, and their 5-year-old son, U.S. citizen 
Andrew Xue, who were held separately for nearly a month. Vice Premier 
Qian referred to President Jiang Zemin of China. The Vice Premier spoke 
in Chinese, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter. A tape 
was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.