Bush Visit to Asia

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Powell Says China's Sales of Arms Technology Still Hinder Relations
(WP, Feb. 23, 2002) Flying back from China, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said that the dispute over Beijing's export of missile technology remains "an irritation in the relationship" between the two countries and that the United States will try again soon to settle the issue.

Chinese Media Cheer Bush Visit
(Reuters, Feb. 23, 2002) Chinese media cheered U.S. President George W. Bush's two-day China visit on Saturday, saying it heralds stable and constructive relations between the two superpowers.

Taiwan Secure About Its Relationship with, Commitment from U.S.
(China Post, Feb. 23, 2002) President Office Spokesman Huang Chih-fang said U.S. President George W. Bush's reiteration of Washington's commitment to the island's security is an evidence that the U.S.' policy toward Taipei has never altered.

Bush Touts U.S. Values To Chinese
(WP, Feb. 22, 2002) With his voice and face carried live across China, President Bush urged the world's most populous country today to draw on American ideals of liberty, faith and family as it continues its historic economic transformation.

Bush Stresses Rights and Arms with Jiang
(Reuters, Feb. 22, 2002) U.S. President George W. Bush pushed mainland China to curb the spread of weapons technology and let its people live and worship freely on a visit to Beijing designed to build on a new spirit of cooperation.

Taiwan Relieved After Bush-Jiang Summit Passes Safely
(Reuters, Feb. 21, 2002) Taiwan breathed a sigh of relief that U.S. President George W. Bush did not undermine the island's interests during a summit with his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin.

Bush Begins China Visit; No Accord On Weapons
(WP, Feb. 21, 2002) President Bush praised China today for its "strong support" for the war on terrorism as he arrived here for talks with President Jiang Zemin, but the two leaders failed to reach a long-sought deal limiting Chinese sales of weapons technology to countries hostile to the United States.

U.S.-China Commitment without Agreement
(CNN.com, Feb. 21, 2002) After more than an hour of talks, Presidents George W. Bush and Jiang Zemin agreed to pursue a "constructive cooperative relationship" and to cooperate in fighting terrorism and promoting peace in the region.

Taiwan Question is Key to Sino-U.S. Relations: Jiang
(People’s Daily, Feb. 21, 2002) When meeting the press jointly with U.S. President George W. Bush, Chinese President Jiang Zemin stressed that appropriately handling the Taiwan question is the key to ensuring a steady development of Sino-U.S. relations.

Bush to Press China over Missile Sales
(Financial Times, Feb. 20, 2002) President George W. Bush will press the Chinese government to implement tough export controls to block the sale of ballistic missile equipment and technologies, as the US attempts to stop terrorists and rogue states from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

Bush Hopes for 'United' Korea
(CNN.com, Feb. 20, 2002) Shortly after traveling to the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea, President Bush said Wednesday he hopes to see a Korean peninsula "one day united in commerce and cooperation, instead of divided by barbed wire and fear."

Taiwan Hails Bush's Speech, But Remains on Guard
(Taiwan News Feb. 20, 2002) Nervously scrutinizing every word by George W. Bush, Taiwan put on a brave face and hailed yesterday an assurance by the U.S. president to uphold U.S. commitments to the diplomatically isolated island.

Bush Affirms U.S. Role in Asia in New 'Pacific Century'
(New York Times, Feb. 19, 2002) Declaring that the next 100 years would be the "Pacific Century," President Bush strongly reaffirmed the role of the American military in Asia during a speech today to the Japanese Parliament. The United States, Mr. Bush said, would stop aggression against South Korea, show "American power and purpose" in support of the Philippines, maintain its commitments to Taiwan and press forward with a missile defense system.

Koizumi Gets Lift from Bush
(Japan Times, Feb. 19, 2002) Visiting U.S. President George W. Bush expressed strong support for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plans to combat deflation and speed up structural reform, providing a much-needed boost to the prime minister at a time of waning popularity.

Bush, Koizumi Play to Their Differences
(CNN.com, Feb. 18, 2002) The leaders of Japan and the United States have used the issues upon which they most disagree to pledge their mutual support. Koizumi defended Bush's much-maligned "axis of evil" comments despite Japanese concerns that the comments could hinder any improvement in relations with North Korea. Praising Japan as "the bedrock for peace and prosperity" in the Pacific, Bush said he had full confidence that Japan would turn around its ailing economy.

Taiwan Frets over Bush's Mainland China Visit
(AFP, Feb. 18, 2002) Taiwan is keeping a wary eye on U.S. President George W. Bush's mainland China visit despite assurances by Washington that Taipei's interests would not be traded away during the trip. Washington had guaranteed Taipei that it would not dilute its backing for the island in return for better relations with Beijing.

Bush Hopes China Visit Will Boost Ties
(Reuters, Feb. 17, 2002) President George W. Bush says he hopes his coming visit to China will help improve Sino-U.S. ties and is playing down concern over the thorny Taiwan issue. But China made a fresh protest over U.S. plans to sell destroyers to Taiwan.

U.S. Policy Toward Taiwan Remains Unchanged
(CNA, Feb. 17, 2002) White House National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on Thursday ruled out a major restatement on U.S. policy toward Taiwan during President George W. Bush's trip to Beijing next week, saying America's policy is "very clear" and unchanged.

Bush's Asia Trip Will Focus on Terrorism
(Washington Post, Feb. 16, 2002) When President Bush departs for three Asian capitals, he will be carrying his vision for a war against terrorism that stretches beyond Afghanistan, telephone intercepts and frozen bank accounts to encompass a crackdown on sales of missile technology and other dangerous material to unfriendly governments.

Thorny Rights Disputes Await Bush in China
(New York Times, Feb. 14, 2002) The case of the businessman, Liu Yaping, is among a number of increasingly difficult legal disputes that have received prominent attention from United States officials, politicians and human rights groups. The issue could cloud President Bush's talks with China's Communist leaders on his first official visit next week.

Bush May Meet China's New Star
(NYT, Feb. 13, 2002) President Bush is very likely to meet with Hu Jintao, the man expected to take over as China's supreme leader, during the president's trip to Asia next week. Mr. Hu, 59, China's vice president since 1998, is considered the successor to Jiang Zemin .

China's Li Peng Slams Foreign 'Interfering' over Human Rights
(AFP, Feb. 11, 2002) China's number two leader, Li Peng, has condemned foreign countries "interfering" over human rights, in a sign the issue could still plague Sino-US ties ahead of President George W. Bush's visit next week.

US-China Relations Going "Rather Smoothly": Powell
(AFP, Feb. 6, 2002) "The relationship is back on an improving track," Powell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, attributing progress to a desire by both sides to move on from a crisis over a US EP-3 spyplane downed in China last year.

Beijing Plays Down Bugging of Airplane
(WP, Jan. 23, 2002) Chinese political sources said Jiang is determined to include strong ties with the United States as part of the legacy of his 12-year reign as China's president and Communist Party boss. "The Chinese basically don't want any problems," said a Western diplomat. "They won't let the spying problem get in their way."

China Says Bug Reports Have No Impact on U.S. Ties
(Reuters, Jan. 22, 2002) Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said he had no knowledge of any Chinese investigation into reports that more than two dozen electronic eavesdropping devices were planted in the Boeing 767 when it was refurbished in the United States.

US Silence on Jiang's 'Bugged' Plane
(BBC, Jan. 20, 2002) American officials are refusing to comment on press reports that a Boeing 767 made in the US for Chinese leader Jiang Zemin contained more than 20 spying devices. President Jiang is reported to be furious at the reported discovery. Neither the White House nor the State Department would comment on Saturday's report.

China Finds Bugs on Jet Refitted in U.S.
(Washington Post, Jan. 19, 2002) Chinese aviation officials and military officers have charged that U.S. intelligence agencies planted the bugs aboard the plane while it was being refitted in the United States.  

Bush's China Policy Shows Change By Bonnie S.Glaser
(Taipei Times, March 18, 2002) The president has recognized the need to tone down his sharp rhetoric, engage Chinese leaders directly and increase consultations with senior Chinese officials on a broad range of issues.

Bush-League Diplomacy Mars Asian Tour By David Wall
(Japan Times, March 11, 2002) Diplomacy is difficult. As a minimum it means trying to convince people that what you are doing is at least as much in their interests as it is in yours. The last few weeks suggest that Bush and his advisers on Northeast Asian affairs have not taken this message on board.

More Credit Due Bush's China Trip By Yuan Jing-dong
(Taipei Times, March 11, 2002) Sino-US relations will be one of the most critical bilateral relationships in the coming decades. The Bush visit should be seen as a worthwhile effort to chart a new course for Sino-US relations since the events of Sept. 11.

Grading Bush's China Policy: A- By Robert Sutter
(Pacific Forum, CSIS, March 8, 2002) Thus far, the current U.S. administration over the past year has done a better job developing and employing U.S. leverage regarding China than any U.S. government over the past three decades.

Bush Puts U.S.-China Ties Back on Track By Gary Klintworth
(Japan Times, Mar. 2, 2002) China and the U.S. have many areas where they disagree, including the missile defense issue. But at present, their common interests significantly outweigh their differences. In these circumstances, Taiwan has little to fear.

Bush Visit Highlights Relationship Problems By Wu Yu-shan
(Taipei Times, Feb. 26, 2002) It is clear that the US has moved toward realism in this phase. Meanwhile, Chinese foreign policy will gradually become less flexible with the Chinese Communist Party's 16th National Party Congress approaching.

Bush in China: Friendly But No Breakthrough By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Feb. 23, 2002) Beijing analysts said Jiang believed the establishment of personal ties and regular channels of communications with American leaders was initial proof of the success of his vaunted "great power diplomacy."

After Listening to Bush, Chinese Wait To Be Heard By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Feb. 23, 2002) The reaction to Bush's speech said a lot about China. It showed, for example, that the words of an American president are limited in their impact, in part because China is generally freer now than at any time in its recent history, despite sometimes strict limitations.

U.S. and China Stay Positive, but Make Little Progress By Erik Eckolm
(New York Times, Feb. 23, 2002) President Bush left for home after lecturing the Chinese people on the merits of liberty and religious faith and taking more than one opportunity to remind them that the United States is pledged to aid Taiwan's defense.

U.S. and China Stay Positive, but Make Little Progress By Erik Eckolm
(New York Times, Feb. 23, 2002) President Bush left for home after lecturing the Chinese people on the merits of liberty and religious faith and taking more than one opportunity to remind them that the United States is pledged to aid Taiwan's defense.

Needed: A New U.S. Self-Containment Policy By Tom Plate
(Asia, Pacific Media Network, Feb. 22, 2002) Now that the Soviet empire is gone, Nye is positing a self-containment policy: World peace and order can be achieved only if we Americans contain ourselves. We are the good guys of the world only so long as enough of the rest of the world agrees.

Bush Mentions Taiwan Relations Act But Not Communiques
(United Daily News, Feb. 22, 2002) During his remarks on the differences separating Washington and Beijing, Bush first mentioned Taiwan, saying, "We believe in the peaceful settlement of this issue. We will urge there be no provocation. The United States will continue to support the Taiwan Relations Act."

Chinese Whispers
(Editorial, Financial Times, Feb. 21, 2002) Mr Bush's promise that the US would be a "steady partner" for China indicates that he is willing to put that relationship on a more stable footing. But he must be prepared to make conciliatory noises to encourage Beijing to respond.

Neither Enemies Nor Friends By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
(BBC, Feb. 21, 2002) In the 30 years since Nixon came the relationship between China and the US has matured. But there are still huge areas of mistrust and potential misunderstanding. As one Chinese diplomat recently said of the two countries "We are no longer enemies, but nor are we friends."

US Needs Pragmatic China Policy By Yuan Jing-dong
(Taipei Times, Feb. 20, 2002) That policy should envision a rising China preoccupied with domestic and external challenges, one receptive and amenable to international norms and rules and, most critically perhaps, with a leadership that does not seek to challenge vital US interests even as it differs in interpretation of US strategic and normative interests.

What Should Bush Say at Tsinghua University? By Arthur Waldron
(Taipei Times, Feb. 20, 2002) Whether at Tsinghua University or at the Central Party School, President George W. Bush will soon be talking to the youth of China, a tremendous opportunity for real communication if compared, say, with a "full and candid" discussion with the top leadership. What should he say? Here are some thoughts:

Complete Text of Bush's Speech to Japanese Diet
(Feb. 19, 2002) We will deter aggression against the Republic of Korea. Together, Japan and the United States will strengthen our ties of security. America will remember our commitments to the people on Taiwan. And to protect the people of this region, and our friends and allies in every region, we will press on with an effective program of missile defense.

Bush's Beijing Trip - High Hopes, Low Expectations By Pei Minxin
(Straits Times, Feb. 19, 2002) The possibility of significant mutual accommodation on critical bilateral issues is remote because, in both capitals, there is a determined minority among the political elite which has long concluded that the two countries are destined to clash.

Bush Conjures Spirit of Nixon on China Visit By John Ruwitch
(Reuters, Feb. 19, 2002) "What brings us together," the U.S. president told the Chinese leader, "is a recognition of a new situation in the world and a recognition on our part that what is important is not a nation's internal political philosophy."

A Summit with Few Prospects By Lao Se-tiong
(Taiwan News, Feb. 18, 2002) To what extent can Bush's trip to China construct a healthy relationship between these two countries? Given the existing differences, the most likely scenario would be this: there is very little prospect of a major crisis and there is very little prospect of any short-term initiatives from either side.

Bush to Test Ties with China in Fight against Evil By Jeremy Page
(Reuters, Feb. 18, 2002) U.S. President George W. Bush will test the limits of a friendship with China born from the war on terrorism when he visits Beijing seeking a concrete commitment not to arm nations he has branded as being "an axis of evil".

From the White House, All Zigzags Lead to China By David Shambaugh
(Washington Post, Feb. 17, 2002) Bush has now positioned his China policy squarely in line with those of his predecessors Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. All of them -- regardless of their starting points -- eventually came around to the logic of coopting China, instead of containing or confronting it.

Wide Range of Issues Face Bush in Asia By John King
(CNN.com, Feb. 16, 2002) President Bush plans to meet with China's heir-apparent, talk tough about North Korea's weapons programs and discuss economics in Japan during his three-nation Asian trip. Bush's visit to the regional capitals of Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing initially was scheduled for October, but it was postponed because of the terrorist strikes on the United States.

Bush Has Much to Finesse In Trip to Japan and Korea By Howard W. French
(New York Times, Feb. 16, 2002) Barely a month ago, the first two stops on President Bush's Far East tour — Tokyo and Seoul — had all the markings of a makeup class, routine stopovers in a trip that was hastily cut in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The U.S. “War on Terror” and East Asia By James Reilly
(Foreign Policy in Focus, Feb. 2002) U.S. policies in East Asia have been understandably overlooked. No longer. With the president's upcoming visit to Japan, South Korea, and China, Bush administration policies in East Asia and their dangerous implications for regional security are now coming under closer scrutiny.

Bush Seen Walking in Nixon's Steps During Mainland Trip By Chris Cockel
(China Post, Feb. 15, 2002) By stepping on to the same airport tarmac in Beijing 30 years to the day after President Richard Nixon, current United States President George W. Bush will be walking in the late president's footsteps in more ways than one.

Bush Aims to Steady Rocky Ties with China By Randall Mikkelsen
(Reuters, Feb. 15, 2002) After a year of tensions and drift in ties with China, U.S. President George W. Bush will visit Beijing next week, hoping cooperation against terrorism since September 11 will put the countries on a productive path.

The Bush Administration Lays Out the Three ‘Cs’ of Its New China Policy By Tom Plate
(Asia Pacific Media Network, Feb. 13, 2002) “A candid, constructive and cooperative relationship is what we are building with China: candid where we disagree; constructive where we can see some daylight; and cooperative where we have common regional, global or economic interests.” These are the three C’s, declaimed Powell, of the newly articulated U.S. policy that Bush will convey to Jiang.

China Plays Waiting Game with U.S. By Willy Wo Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Feb. 13, 2002) China is prepared to tread softly with the United States for another 20 years. Chinese President Jiang Zemin's latest instructions on relations with the United States contained both soft and steely elements. "If necessary, we can make concessions (to America) for 20 more years," said Jiang.

China, US on Road to Warmer Ties By Tom Plate
(Straits Times, Feb. 9, 2002) At the World Economic Forum conference that wrapped up last week, the Chinese took few chances and adopted such a low profile, they almost became Davos' invisible men.

Table Topics for Bush, Jiang By Ralph A. Cossa and Bonnie Glaser
(Japan Times, Feb. 8, 2002) Washington could articulate directly to Chinese leaders its insistence on a peaceful resolution of differences between the two sides of the strait. It could encourage China to think more creatively about how to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Taiwan to advance its stated goal of peaceful unification.

Bush Visit to Test Beijing's Open Door Policy By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Feb. 6, 2002) Whether President George W. Bush will speak at Tsinghua University or the Central Party School (CPS) could say much about the future of Chinese politics. However, it is understood that some among cadres charged with finalizing the itinerary are in favor of a bold gesture, meaning the CPS venue .

Taiwan at Heart of Sino-US Relations
(Xinhua News, Feb. 6, 2002) Visiting Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said that proper handling of the Taiwan question is the key to developing a constructive relationship of co-operation between China and the United States.

China Sees Interests Tied to U.S. By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Feb. 2, 2002) A well-known Chinese scholar made a simple but controversial point recently: The United States is not China's enemy now, and probably never will be. A central reason, the scholar said in a closed address to government officials, is the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.

China Changes Approach in Espionage Incident By Elisabeth Rosenthal
(New York Times, Jan. 27, 2002) China's relationship with the United States has been changing dramatically, in tone if not substance, in the last eight months, and the most recent espionage accusations have served as a barometer of that shift.

Beijing Subdued over Plane Bugs By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Jan. 21, 2002) China's subdued reaction to the alleged bugging of President Jiang Zemin's plane seems to signal Beijing's eagerness to improve ties with America despite the perennial irritants. Sources close to the Chinese diplomatic establishment say Jiang is generally cleaving to late patriarch Deng Xiaoping's instruction on policy toward the U.S. -- "Seek cooperation and avoid confrontation."