[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 29 (Monday, July 25, 2005)]
[Pages 1186-1191]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister John Howard of 
Australia

July 19, 2005

    President Bush. Thank you all. Laura and I are honored to welcome 
Prime Minister John Howard and Janette back to the White House. We're 
really glad you're here. We're looking forward to having, this time, a 
true family lunch, upstairs. It's a chance to--for two old friends, 
friends who happen to be old--[laughter]--to visit and to talk and to 
strategize and to think aloud about how to work together.
    I got to tell you, I admire John Howard a lot. He's a man of 
conviction. He's got backbone. He's not afraid to make the hard 
decision. He's not afraid to lead, and we're really thrilled you're 
here. Plus, he married well. [Laughter]
    I appreciate a man of vision. I am looking forward to working with 
him in his fourth term in office, for the betterment of our own people 
and for the betterment of the world.
    Australia and the United States share a commitment to freedom. We 
understand we compete against an ideology of hatred, an ideology that 
murders the innocent in order to achieve objectives. We know we must be 
steadfast and strong when it comes to bringing to justice those who 
would kill innocent life, like those who got killed in New York City and 
Washington, DC, and Bali and London and other places around the world. 
But we also understand that to defeat an ideology, you've got to have a 
better ideology, and we do, one based upon human rights and human 
dignity, minority rights, and freedom.
    And the thing I appreciate about John Howard is he understands that. 
I appreciate the commitment of the Australian Government to help in the 
democracy movements in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We had a good talk 
today about the way forward in Iraq. I assured him that our position is 
one that says, ``As the Iraqis stand up, America stands down.'' In other 
words, we're going to help Iraqis to defend themselves and, at the same 
time, promote a political process that will lead to a constitution--a 
validation of the constitution and permanent elections. We talked as 
well about Afghanistan and how important it is for a country like 
Afghanistan to show the world what is possible when it comes to 
democratic institutions and freedom.
    I appreciated the Prime Minister's strong advice about Malaysia and 
Indonesia, two really important countries. And John Howard has got a lot 
of experience with the leaders in those countries as well as the 
political process in the countries. And it's always good to visit with a 
friend about how he sees the world.
    We talked about China and North Korea. I told him that we're 
committed to solving the North Korean nuclear issue in a diplomatic way 
and that we're pleased that the six-party talks has become renewed and 
that we're sincere about working with China and South Korea and Japan 
and Russia to bring some common sense to the leader of North Korea.
    We talked about the benefits of the free trade agreement we signed: 
Our economies are strong and that trade will help our economies stay 
strong and that free trade and fair trade is important for the working 
people in both our countries and that we're dedicated to making sure the 
next round of the WTO goes forward.
    All in all, we had a really good discussion, the kind of discussion 
you'd expect from friends. And we're looking forward to continuing it 
over lunch.
    John, welcome.
    Prime Minister Howard. Thank you very much, George. And I say to 
you, Mr. President, and to your wife, Laura, thank you very much for the 
great hospitality that you've extended to Janette and to me.
    This is not only a close relationship between Australia and the 
United States but it is a shared commitment by two peoples who have so 
much history and so much in the way of common values as a basis for the 
relationship.
    Australia and the United States have never been closer than they are 
at the present time. But the reason that we are so close is that we are 
engaged together in quite a struggle against some forces and elements of 
evil around the world that threaten not only the

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people of our countries but also the people of other nations.
    Terrorists indiscriminately murder people irrespective of their 
race, their nationality, their religion, their political party, or their 
political belief. And those who doubt that, I invite them to look at the 
casualty lists of the London Underground and the bus. You will find not 
55 people of Anglo-Celtic-Protestant composition, but you will find 55 
people of different races, different ethnicities, different attitudes, 
and different beliefs. And I say that to encapsulate the view that I 
hold very strongly, that to see this as some kind of struggle between 
the West and the rest is to completely misunderstand and completely 
misread what's involved.
    I want to thank the President and the Congress of the United States 
for the support that was given so generously to the passage of the free 
trade agreement legislation. It passed through the two Houses of the 
American Congress with, I think, record majorities. And I believe that 
the economic association between Australia and the United States will be 
more important to Australia as the years go by, particularly in the area 
of services, where, because of the commonalities we share in language 
and legal systems and in so many other areas, the opportunities are 
going to be very much greater.
    The President and I had a very extensive discussion about the 
involvement of both of our countries in the Asian-Pacific region, about 
the critical importance of Indonesia, the third largest democracy in the 
world, the largest Islamic country in the world, and a nation whose 
success is immensely important to the ideological and intellectual 
debate in relation to terrorism, because if Indonesia is a success 
story, it can be held up as an example to the rest of the Islamic world 
that the path forward, the path to prosperity and stability, is a path 
away from hatred and extremism and a path of moderation.
    Can I say to you, Mr. President, that the personal relationship that 
we have established on behalf of our two countries means a great deal to 
me. But it is, as you rightly say, based on a common view of the world, 
that individual freedom is still the greatest glue that nations and 
peoples can have, that societies that honor the family as the most 
stabilizing influence in our community and also societies that recognize 
that the basis of national wealth is individual wealth built on 
competitive capitalism.
    Not everybody in our two countries would entirely share every part 
of that statement of my philosophical beliefs, but I'm happy to say that 
in both countries, a sufficient number of people--[laughter]--in recent 
times have shared those views to put smiles on both our faces. 
[Laughter] And I must say, on a somewhat partisan note, how much I 
enjoyed my discussion with you on the night of the 9th of October of 
last year and, equally, the opportunity I have of congratulating you on 
your remarkable victory, which--after an election campaign that I 
followed with enormous interest. I come here as a friend of the United 
States. I come here as the leader of 20 million people who are 
committed, as you are, to the great causes of individual liberty and 
freedom. And together we can work to make a better world.
    President Bush. We'll answer two questions apiece. Jennifer 
[Jennifer Loven, Associated Press].

Upcoming Supreme Court Nomination

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Can you tell us, as you consider 
Supreme Court nominees, how important it is to you to replace Justice 
O'Connor with another woman? And can you bring us up to date on whether 
you've completed interviewing candidates?
    President Bush. First, I'm comfortable with where we are in the 
process. That's important for you to know. Secondly, that I have thought 
about a variety of people, people from different walks of life, some of 
whom I've known before, some of whom I had never met before. I'm trying 
to figure out what else I can say that I didn't say yesterday that 
sounds profound to you without--without actually answering your 
question. [Laughter]
    As I say, I do have an obligation to think about people from 
different backgrounds but who share the same philosophy, people who will 
not legislate from the bench. That's what I told the people when I ran 
for President. I want to be known as the kind of person who does what he 
says he's going to do and--because I believe it's right. And so, I guess

[[Page 1188]]

the best way to put it is, I'll let you know when I'm ready to tell you 
who it is.
    John, go ahead, ask--want to call on some----

Iraq

    Q. Dennis Shanahan, The Australian. Mr. President, Mr. Prime 
Minister, before the invasion of Iraq, Mr. Howard said that our troops 
would be there for months, not years. It is now years. Realistically, 
how long can the Australian people expect our troops to be in Iraq and 
Afghanistan? Is it, now, more years?
    President Bush. Well, first, I think, if you're going to ask how 
long the Australian troops will stay, you ought to ask the person who 
decides where the Australian troops go in the first place. I can tell 
you about the American troops, and that is that they'll be there as long 
as necessary to complete the mission.
    There's a great temptation to get me or John to put a timetable on 
our actions there. That doesn't make any sense. Why would you tell the 
enemy how long you're going to stay somewhere? Why would you--it just 
doesn't--we're at war, and during a war, you do the best you can to win 
the war, and one way to embolden an enemy is to give them an artificial 
timetable. I'm sure probably--timetables need to be asked--I get asked 
about timetables all the time here. And--but the answer is, when the 
Iraqis are ready to do the fighting themselves. And that's happening on 
a steady basis, and they're taking more and more of the fight to the 
enemy.
    And like I'm sure in Australia, people in America want to know when 
the troops are coming home--and as quickly as possible, but we've got to 
complete the mission. The mission is really important. We're laying the 
foundation for peace. A free Iraq, a democratic Iraq in the heart of the 
Middle East is a part of a vision that understands free societies are 
peaceful societies.
    We're fighting an ideology, and the way you defeat an ideology that 
is so backward, so evil, and so hated they kill innocent men and women 
regardless of religion, is to spread freedom. And that's why it's 
important we complete the mission in Iraq.
    Prime Minister Howard. Dennis, I did make that statement, and I made 
it in a particular context, which I'm sure you will recall. I'm not 
going to try and put a time limit on our commitment in Iraq. I'm not. It 
will be governed by circumstances, rather than by the calendar, to 
borrow an expression you may have heard yesterday when I was at the 
Pentagon. I thought it was a very good expression, and that's why--and I 
won't plagiarize it; I'll acknowledge the source--that is why I use it.
    But I believe that progress is being made. I think we do face a 
situation where, because of the horror of suicide bombing, there is a 
constant high level of publicity, understandably, given to that, and to 
the detriment of the progress that is being made at a political level. I 
mean, nothing can answer and deny the fact that 8 million people risked 
their lives to vote. Now, that is a stunning personal commitment to 
democracy that Australians haven't been required to do in my lifetime 
or, indeed, the average American citizen, either. Now, I think we have 
to pay some regard to that. And that is a cause worth fighting for, and 
it's a cause worth promoting and supporting.
    Now, the great burden in Iraq is being carried by the United States, 
and I feel very deeply for the American people the burden they are 
carrying. I also pay tribute to the burden that's being carried by the 
British. Our commitment is significant, but obviously, it's much smaller 
than that of those two countries. But we will stay the distance in Iraq. 
We won't go until the job has been finished, and you've heard me say 
that before. That's been my view for a long time, and it will remain my 
view.
    President Bush. Caren [Caren Bohan, Reuters].

Disclosure of CIA Employee's Identity

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. In light of the concerns that the CIA 
leak investigation is distracting from your agenda, has Mr. Rove or any 
of your aides offered their resignation? And what, short of a crime, 
constitutes a firing offense?
    President Bush. You know, I appreciate you bringing that up. My 
answer really hasn't changed--[laughter]--from 24 hours ago.

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It's the same answer. Now, I'll be glad to answer another question if 
you've got one. I--I mean, I'll be glad to repeat what I said yesterday, 
which is, there's an ongoing investigation, and people shouldn't jump to 
conclusions in the press until the investigation is over. And once the 
investigation is over, I'll deal with it.
    Have you got another question? I don't want to shortchange you on 
a----

Upcoming Supreme Court Nomination

    Q. I do, actually. [Laughter] What do you think of Edith Clement?
    President Bush. Pardon me?
    Q. What do you think of Edith Clement for the Court?
    President Bush. Oh, well, I think it's important--let me refer you 
back to the first question. [Laughter]
    Q. Can she have one more? [Laughter]
    President Bush. I don't know, the Prime Minister is a friend. Why 
would I subject him to--no. [Laughter] Do you speak French? [Laughter] 
It's unfair I get the last word at the mike. It's all inside--I'm sorry. 
Please.

China

    Q. Mark Riley from the Seven Network in Australia. Can I ask you 
both, please, for your view on China in the coming period? It seems that 
Australia views China principally as an economic opportunity. And we 
read increasingly that the U.S. sees it as an emerging military 
challenge, particularly in light of the comments made by General Zhu, 
just recently, about the possibility of a nuclear response over Taiwan. 
What I want to ask you particularly is what role you both see Australia 
playing in managing that emerging relationship?
    President Bush. It's a great question. Thanks for asking it. Our 
relationship--let me start with our relationship with China. It is a 
complicated relationship. We obviously have an economic relationship 
with China. That's an important relationship. Our exports to China are 
increasing. If you're a soybean farmer in America, you're really pleased 
with the fact that the Chinese market is open for our soybeans.
    China is a--I think it's in the world's interest that China grow an 
open market economy. I think open markets and free economies tend to 
cause people to demand additional freedoms. So it's in our economic 
interests, and I think it's in the world's interest that we encourage 
free and fair trade.
    We have some difficulties on the trade front with China. One such 
difficulty is their currency, and we've worked with China to convince 
them that it makes sense for them to change how they value their 
currency.
    A second difficulty is on intellectual property rights. It's very 
important for emerging economies to understand that they--in order to be 
a fair trading partner, that you've got to honor somebody else's 
intellectual property. And sometimes that's a hard concept for countries 
to understand. And so we're working very closely on that issue with 
China. By the way, that's the same message that Australia gives, and so 
there's one area where Australia and the United States can work together 
to help convince China that intellectual property rights are important.
    We have a diplomatic relationship with China, obviously. And that's 
manifested in the recent six-party talks in North Korea. I view it very 
important that China be an equal partner in those talks. We've got the 
capacity to bring something to the table when it's--in discussions with 
North Korea, and so does China. And therefore, diplomatically, we have 
an opportunity to affect world security and to make sure that the 
ultimate objective of the terrorists is not achieved, and that is the 
spread of weapons of mass destruction, for example. These are areas 
where we can cooperate and work hard.
    We've got areas of issues when it comes to values. For example, I 
happen to believe religious freedom is very important for any society 
and that people ought to be allowed to worship freely--worship any way 
they see fit. Every time I've met with the Chinese leaders, I've, in a 
respectful way, shared with them the importance, I feel, for a healthy 
society to recognize that people think differently and worship 
differently and, therefore, ought to be encouraged to do so. And so our 
relationship is very important and very vibrant. It's a good 
relationship, but it's a complex relationship.
    I think that Australia, first of all, has got to act in her own 
interests. And there's no

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doubt in my mind the Prime Minister will do that. Secondly, though, that 
we can work together to reinforce the need for China to accept certain 
values as universal, the value of minority rights, the value of freedom 
for people to speak, the value of freedom of religion, the same values 
we share.
    Secondly, I know that Australia can lend a wise message to the 
Chinese about the need for China to take an active role in the 
neighborhood to prevent, for example, Kim Chong-il from developing a 
nuclear weapon. We've got a lot of common interests, and it's when those 
common interests and common values intersect, is where we can reinforce 
each other's message.
    Prime Minister Howard. Mark, I think your question is based on a 
misapprehension shared by a number of people in Australia, and that is 
that we are trying to manage a relationship we have with two countries 
where some kind of conflict between those two countries is inevitable, 
and I'm not as pessimistic as that. I am a lot more optimistic for the 
reasons I outlined in the speech I delivered to the Lowy Institute a few 
months ago in Australia.
    We have different relationships with the United States and China. I 
mean, of course, our relationship with the United States is closer and 
deeper than it is with China, because it's a relationship that is based 
upon shared values and a lot of shared history. The Chinese understand 
that. I think one of the bases--the basis of our relationship 
successfully with China over the last 8 or 9 years is that I have never 
disguised that fact in my discussions with the Chinese, and I've 
encouraged them to accept that our close defense alliance with the 
United States is not in any way directed against China.
    But we have a good relationship with China. It's not just based on 
economic opportunity. There are a lot of people-to-people ties between 
Australia and China, and they're growing all the time. We are going to 
differ with China on human rights issues. You've seen recently, in the 
debate over Mr. Chen, you've seen an expression of views from China. But 
equally, I think the relationship between our two countries is mature 
enough to ride through temporary arguments such as that. I think China 
sees a growing place for herself in the world, but I think there's a 
great level of pragmatism in the Chinese leadership.

    Now, the economic relationship between Australia and China is 
different from the economic relationship between the United States and 
China. And I understand that, and the President and I talked about that 
today. But I have a more optimistic view about the relationship between 
China and the United States, and I know that the leadership of both 
countries understands the importance of common sense in relation to 
Taiwan, a recognition that there are differences of philosophy between 
the two societies.

    But let us not look at this issue from an Australia vantage point, 
from believing that there's some inevitable dust-up going to occur. I 
don't believe that, and I share a great deal of optimism that that is 
going to be prevented. From Australia's point of view, well, we don't 
presume any kind of intermediary role. That would be absurd. We have 
relationships with the United States, which I've talked about and 
categorized in an unambiguous way. Everybody understands the centrality 
of that relationship to Australia. The Chinese understand it. But we are 
unashamed in developing our relations with China, and I am well pleased 
with the way the economic relationship has developed. And I'll continue 
to do everything I can in the interests of Australia to ensure that it 
develops further.
    President Bush. Good job, John. Thank you.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President's news conference began at 11:53 a.m. in the East 
Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Janette Howard, 
wife of Prime Minister Howard; and Chairman Kim Chong-il of North Korea. 
Prime Minister Howard referred to former Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin, 
who was granted a permanent protection visa by Australia on July 8. 
Reporters referred to Edith Brown Clement, U.S. Circuit Judge for the 
Fifth Circuit; and Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu of China, dean, China's 
National Defense University.

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