[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 32 (Monday, August 18, 2008)]
[Page 1124]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Vice President Xi Jinping of China in 
Beijing

August 10, 2008

    Vice President Xi. I very much welcome you, Mr. President, and your 
family members to Beijing for the opening ceremony and for the different 
events and for this visit to Beijing. To my knowledge--that you have a 
quite rich and full and interesting program here in Beijing, and I hope 
you like the program.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    Vice President Xi. I'm very familiar with you, Mr. President, 
because you are always in the limelight of international media. 
[Laughter] And I'm very happy to have this opportunity to meet you and 
get acquainted with you.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    Vice President Xi. That's why the fact that you've come to attend 
the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games shows your support for 
the Chinese efforts to host this Olympiad, and it also shows your 
understanding and respect for the Chinese people to host these games.
    The U.S. delegation is a very powerful and strong delegation, and 
you still have a overwhelming and very obvious edge in athletic sports. 
And I would like to wish American athletes every success and you good 
performance at the Beijing Olympic games.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    Vice President Xi. Just now you had a friendly meeting with 
President Hu Jintao, and I know later on you are going to have a meeting 
with Premier Wen Jiabao. I'm very happy to have this opportunity to 
learn about your views and opinions.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Well, thank you very much for your 
hospitality. We've just had a fabulous lunch, and I'm looking forward to 
this meeting as well.
    I thank you for the warm hospitality. The opening day celebration 
was unbelievable. And I appreciate the beautiful venues, and I'm looking 
forward to seeing some of our teams compete.
    So, we thank you very much, sir. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 2:48 p.m. in Building 202 at the 
Zhongnanhai. Vice President Xi referred to President Hu Jintao and 
Premier Wen Jiabao of China. Vice President Xi spoke in Chinese, and his 
remarks were translated by an interpreter. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.