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American Morning

Bush-Hu Meeting

Aired April 20, 2006 - 09:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get back to the Washington now and the South Lawn of the White House. And as we watch the pageantry there, awaiting the arrival of President Hu of China, let's touch base with Elaine Quijano, who's in the vicinity of the grounds there, joining us on the line right now.
Elaine, watching this pageantry, it's always a spectacle, but let's talk about some of the real issues that are giong to be on the front burner here today.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Absolutely.

A host of issues for these two leaders, President Bush and the Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss. And among the items at the top of the agenda really trade issues. China is the U.S. third- largest trading partner.

But, of course, last year the United States had a $200 million trade deficit with that country. So expect that to be at the top of the list.

Now earlier this week, interesting to note, President Hu was actually in Seattle addressing another big concern of the U.S. He was meeting with Microsoft's Bill Gates to talk about piracy and intellectual property.

But overall, what you're seeing here, really, the White House is welcoming President Hu Jintao with all of this pomp and ceremony. The president is really trying to send a message that he and his administration do not view China as a threat. And he does not view China as a threat as well, as the president walks out here.

Important to note that a lot of this pageantry has really been crafted for the Chinese audience. It's for President Hu's own domestic policy. He wants to convey that this is the first time he is visiting here, and he wants to convey that he has the respect of the United States. He is given the full honors and the welcoming that a world leader would expect to have.

But interesting to note, the Bush administration is being careful not to call this an official state visit, but about the only thing missing as you take a look at the scene here is that there will not be an official state dinner tonight. The United States calling this a working visit by the Chinese president.

But there will be, aside from all of this pomp and ceremony, some substantive issues that the United States hopes to sit down and perhaps try to come some kind of agreement with, although we're not neccesarily expecing any major break.

O'BRIEN: Elaine, tell us, aside from the lack of a state dinner, as we see the president's limosine, President Hu's limosine, arriving. Aside from the lack of a state dinner, there really is no substantive difference as far as the pomp and ceremony, and has that pretty much satisfied the Chinese? President Hu shaking hands with President Bush. Has that satisfied the Chinese?

QUIJANO: Absolutely. This is exactly what the Chinese wanted to have. Th is is major point in the negotiations surrounding this, to ensure that President Hu would be viewed obviously as a world leader, who merits the respect. As you see now, the Chinese leader shaking hands with top U.S. officials. It's a little hard to see, Miles, from my vantage point here.

But really this day getting the full military honors reception of the first couple of China. President Hu is gonig to be afforded a full full 21-gun salute. That's (INAUDIBLE) officials say befits a head of state. He's going to review a military honor guard, and then we're going to see President Bush make some welcoming remarks on the South Lawn. President Hu will make a short statment as well. After that arrival ceremony is when their meeting will actually begin.

O'BRIEN: President hu walking down a list of high-ranking administration officials, the secretary of state, the vice president and Mrs. Cheney. The Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Mrs. Rumsfeld, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Peter Pace.

Let's listen to the national anthems now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the national anthem of the United States of America.

(MUSIC)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.

Laura and I are pleased to welcome President Hu Jintao and his wife, Madame Liu, to the White House.

(APPLAUSE)

The United States and China are two nations divided by a vast ocean, yet connected through a global economy that has created opportunity for both our peoples.

The United States welcomes the emergence of a China that is peaceful and prosperous and that supports international institutions.

As stakeholders in the international system, our two nations share many strategic interests. President Hu and I will discuss how to advance those interests and how China and the United States can cooperate responsibly with other nations to address common challenges. Our two nations share an interest in expanding free and fair trade, which has increased the prosperity of both the American people and the Chinese people. Trade in goods between our two nations has grown to $285 billion a year, and U.S. exports to China grew nearly 21 percent in last year alone.

Our trade relationship can become even stronger as China adopts policies that allow U.S. companies to compete in China with the same freedom that Chinese companies are able to compete here in the United States.

So we welcome China's commitments to increase domestic demand, to reform its pension system, to expand market access for U.S. goods and services, to improve enforcement of intellectual property rights and to move toward a flexible market-based exchange rate for its currency. These policies will benefit the Chinese people and are consistent with being a responsible member of the international economic system and a leader in the World Trade Organization.

Prosperity depends on security. So the United States and China share a strategic interest in enhancing security for both our peoples.

We intend to deepen our cooperation in addressing threats to global security, including the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, the violence unleashed by terrorists and extremists, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

I appreciate China's role as the host of the six-party talks, which will be successful only if North Korea makes the right strategic decision: to abandon all its nuclear weapons and its existing nuclear programs as pledged to the other five parties.

I'll continue to seek President Hu's advice and cooperation, and urge his nation to use its considerable influence with North Korea to make meaningful progress toward a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons.

The natural world also generates threats to international security. And the United States and China share a strategic interest in meeting these challenges, as well.

We will continue to cooperate to fight avian flu and other pandemic diseases. We'll continue to cooperate to respond to natural disasters. We'll continue to cooperate to develop alternatives to fossil fuels. New technologies can drive economic growth on both sides of the Pacific and help us become better stewards of our natural resources.

As the relationship between our two nations grows and matures, we can be candid about our disagreements. I'll continue to discuss with President Hu the importance of respecting human rights and freedoms of the Chinese people.

China's become successful because the Chinese people are experience (sic) the freedom to buy and to sell and to produce. And China can grow even more successful by allowing the Chinese people the freedom to assemble, to speak freely and to worship.

The United States will also be candid about our policy toward Taiwan. The United States maintains our one-China policy based on the three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.

We oppose unilateral changes in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by either side. We urge all parties to avoid confrontational or provocative acts.

And we believe the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully.

The United States and China will continue to build on our common interests. We will address our differences in the spirit of mutual respect. We made progress in building a relationship that is candid and cooperative, and President Hu's visit will further that progress.

And so, Mr. President, welcome to the White House. We're really glad you're here. I'm looking forward to your meetings. And I'm so thrilled to welcome Madam Liu, as well. Thank you for coming.

(APPLAUSE)

HU JINTAO, PRESIDENT, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): President George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, I am glad to visit the United States in a lovely season of spring at your invitation, Mr. President.

I wish to convey to the great American people the warm greetings and best wishes of the 1.3 billion Chinese people.

I have come to enhance dialogue, expand common ground, deepen mutual trust and cooperation, and to promote the all-around growth of constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relations in the 21st century.

M. O'BRIEN: As President Hu speaks, what you're seeing in the right side of your screen, clearly, is a protester. I don't know what she is saying. She's speaking Chinese. She's in the middle of the press corps there -- and unclear what her protest is all about, whether it has something to do with human rights issues in China. But, obviously we're going to continue to watch this as the talk continues. Clearly, security making their way there right now.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: At one point, she did say in English, "President Bush, stop him." We don't obviously know what she was saying in Chinese, but as you mentioned, protesters there, and some are taking heavy issue where human rights in China.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It looks like she may be being taken away. I wonder....

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, there they are. There's uniformed secret service there now escorting her away. Somehow, obviously, got into the compound with a press credential of some kind in the middle of the press corps there.

SERWER: It took a while for them to get to her.

M. O'BRIEN: A surprising amount of time, but, you know, usually the press is kind of bottled up and put off in a corner and is not necessarily...

NGUYEN: The easiest to get to?

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it can be a pack as you can see there.

SERWER: And kind of an embarrassing moment, potentially, for the presidents.

NGUYEN: For the Chinese president.

M. O'BRIEN: I should say. Amid the pomp and circumstance, a blemish. But let's continue to listen.

HU (through translator): Their heroic sacrifice still remains fresh in the minds of the Chinese people.

Thanks to the concerted efforts made by our two governments and our two peoples over the years, our friendship has grown from strength to strength and yielded rich fruit.

The Chinese and the Americans are great peoples. The Americans are optimistic, full of enterprise and drive, down to earth and innovative.

In just over 200 years, they have turned the United States into the most developed country in the world and made phenomenal achievements in economic development and science and technology.

The Chinese are industrious, courageous, honest and intelligent. They created the splendid ancient Chinese civilization. And today they are firmly committed to the path of peaceful development and are making continuous progress in a modernization drive by carrying out the reform and opening-up program.

Both China and the United States are countries of significant influence in the world. We share important common, strategic interests in a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation and trade, security, public health, energy and environmental protection, and on major international and regional issues.

HU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In particular, mutually beneficial and win-win China-U.S. economic cooperation and trade benefit our two peoples and promote the economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Indeed, they have become an important foundation for China-U.S. relations.

Enhanced interactions and cooperation between China and the United States serve the interests of our two peoples and are conducive to world peace and development. We should stay firmly rooted in the present while looking ahead to the future and view and approach China-U.S. relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.

We should, on the basis of the principles set forth in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, respect each other as equals and promote closer exchanges and cooperation.

This will enable us to make steady progress in advancing constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relations and bring more benefits to our two peoples and the people of the world.

HU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We are ready to continue to work with the U.S. side and other parties concerned to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiation, to uphold the international nonproliferation regime and to safeguard global peace and stability.

We are ready to work with the U.S. side in a spirit of seeking mutual benefit and win-win outcomes to properly address each other's concerns and facilitate the sound and steady growth of bilateral economic cooperation and trade.

HU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We will continue to pursue the strategy of boosting domestic demand and ensure fast and balanced economic and social development in China. This will create more opportunities for China-U.S. economic cooperation and trade.

We will continue to advance the reform of the RNB exchange rate regime, take positive steps in such areas as expanding market access, increasing import, and strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights, and further expand China-U.S. economic cooperation and trade.

We are ready to expand friendly people-to-people exchanges and enhance exchanges and cooperation in science, technology, culture, education and other areas.

We are ready to enhance dialogue and exchanges with the U.S. side on the basis of mutual respect and equality to promote the world's cause of human rights.

President Bush, you and the U.S. government have stated on various occasions that you are committed to the one-China policy, abide by the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and oppose Taiwan independence. We appreciate your commitments.

HU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. We will continue to make every effort and endeavor with every sincerity to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification of the two sides across the Taiwan Straits.

We will work with our Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. However, we will never allow anyone to make Taiwan secede from China by any means. Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, the 21st century has entrusted people around world with a lofty historic mission. That is to maintain world peace, promote common development and create a brighter future for mankind.

Let us work together with the international community to build a world of enduring peace, common prosperity and harmony.

Thank you once again, Mr. President, for your warm welcome.

(APPLAUSE)

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