PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.)
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush, ladies and
gentlemen, dear friends. I'm glad to visit the United States in the 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 dialogues, 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 --
(audience interruption) --
PRESIDENT HU: The Chinese people have always cherished goodwill towards
the American people. In 1784, U.S. merchant ship, Empress of China, sailed
to China, opening the friendly exchanges between our two peoples. In mid
19th century, several dozen thousand Chinese workers, working side-by-side
with American workers and braving harsh conditions, built the great
railway linking the East and the West of the American continent.
In our common struggle against fascist aggression over 60 years ago,
several thousand American soldiers lost their lives in battlefields in
China. 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 enterprising 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're
firmly committed to the path of peaceful development and are making
continuous progress in the 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. 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 communiqués, 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 people of the world.
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 non-proliferation regime and 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 the steady growth of
bilateral economic cooperation and trade.
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 RMB exchange rate
regime, take positive steps in such areas as expanding market access,
increasing imports, and strengthening the protection of intellectual
property rights, and further expand China-U.S. economic cooperation and
trade.
We are ready to expand the 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 communiqués, and oppose Taiwan independence. We
appreciate your commitments.
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-strait 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 the world with a lasting 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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