pd06jy98 The President's Radio Address...

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Pages 1243-1309
 
Week Ending Friday, July 3, 1998
 
The President's Radio Address

June 27, 1998

    Good morning. I'm speaking to you today from Beijing. In just 2 
days, I've seen some of the rich history and remarkable changes that are 
taking place in China, home to nearly one quarter of the world's 
population.
    China is the oldest civilization on Earth. In Xi'an, on Friday, I 
saw the old and the new China, from magnificent Terra Cotta Warriors 
sculpted by artisans 2000 years before America was founded to the 
beginnings of democracy in a nearby village where residents soon will 
hold elections.
    I've been touched by the warm reception given to me, my family, and 
the Members of Congress traveling with us. Tens of thousands of Chinese 
families have lined the streets to greet us. For all these people, China 
is changing. I see cell phones, beepers, new office buildings.
    China is no longer the same country it was when President Nixon 
first came here 26 years ago. Never before have so many Chinese had the 
opportunity to start businesses; lift their families out of poverty; 
choose where to live, work, and travel; and enjoy the fruits of their 
labors. But there's also resistance to change, the legacy of a history 
that has not always been kind to the Chinese people and has left a 
deeply rooted fear of instability.
    Today in Beijing I am meeting with China's leaders to talk about the 
future of our two countries and a relationship between us that is 
essential to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world in the next 
century. We talked about the United States and China's mutual interests: 
promoting peace in Korea, where 40,000 U.S. soldiers still risk their 
lives to patrol the cold war's last frontier; preventing a nuclear arms 
race between India and Pakistan; restoring economic stability in Asia; 
stopping the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the 
missiles to deliver them; combatting international crime and drug 
trafficking; preserving the environment; and opening trade.
    We also spoke frankly about our differences, especially concerning 
human rights. Over the past year, we have seen some progress in this 
area, though still far from enough. Some of China's famous political 
prisoners have been released, but others still languish in prison. The 
Government is loosening its control over many aspects of daily life, yet 
people still are not completely free to meet, to publish, to speak, to 
worship according to the dictates of their own hearts.
    Throughout this trip, I will raise human rights and try to explain 
how freedom has been at the heart of America's success and prosperity. I 
will also argue that in this global information age, when economic 
success is built on ideas, personal freedom is necessary to the 
innovation and creativity that are essential to the greatness of any 
modern nation.
    In dealing with China, we must stay true to a course that is both 
principled and pragmatic. We must continue to expand our areas of 
cooperation, even as we deal directly with our differences.
    China is important to our future, with the largest population on 
Earth, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, an 
economy increasingly connected to our own. Without China, it will be 
difficult to face the challenges, successfully, that affect all of us. 
With China, we can build a safer, more prosperous future for our 
children, a world of unlimited possibility in the new century.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:30 p.m., Beijing time, on June 26 at 
the Diaoyutai residence in Beijing, China, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m., 
e.d.t., on June 27. This transcript was made available by the Office of 
the Press Secretary on

[[Page 1245]]

June 26 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.


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[Page 1245]
 
Monday, July 6, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 27
Pages 1243-1309
 
Week Ending Friday, July 3, 1998
 
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Jiang Zemin of China in 
Beijing

June 27, 1998

    President Jiang. First of all, I'd like to welcome you, Mr. 
President, on the state visit to China. And I'm looking forward to an 
indepth exchange of views with you on a series of major issues.
    Last fall I paid a state visit to your country at your invitation, 
and we made an important decision--that is, China and the United States 
would work together to establish a 21st century-oriented constructive, 
strategic partnership. Today your visit is another major event in China-
U.S. relations.
    The exchange of visits between the heads of state of China and the 
United States represents the common desire of our two peoples and also 
marks a new stage of growth for the bilateral relations. Facts have 
demonstrated that improvement in growth of China-U.S. relations are the 
inevitable development of the history and are irresistible for any force 
on Earth. I'm prepared to work together with you, Mr. President, to make 
your visit a complete success.
    President Clinton. Thank you very much, Mr. President. As you know, 
this is my first trip to China, the first by an American President in 9 
years. It comes only 8 months after your visit to the United States, 
which was very successful. I believe that these two visits demonstrate 
our commitment and our progress in building the constructive, strategic 
partnership we talked about last October.
    I know that I speak for the vast majority of the American people 
when I say that this effort to improve and strengthen our relationship 
is very welcome. I have been impressed by the progress we have made and 
by the open and honest relationship we have developed in discussing all 
matters, and for that, I thank you very much.
    I very much hope this trip will not only help us to expand our areas 
of cooperation and move toward reconciling our differences but also will 
help to increase the understanding of the American people about China 
and the Chinese people about America, because long after we are gone 
from the scene our people will have to carry on this partnership and 
this friendship.

Note: The President spoke at 9:23 a.m. in the Great Hall of the People. 
President Jiang spoke in Chinese, and his remarks were translated by an 
interpreter. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.


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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 1245-1252]
 
Monday, July 6, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 27
Pages 1243-1309
 
Week Ending Friday, July 3, 1998
 
The President's News Conference With President Jiang in Beijing

June 27, 1998

    President Jiang. Ladies and gentlemen, just now I've held official 
talks with President Clinton. The two sides have held an extensive and 
indepth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and the major 
international and regional issues. The talks were positive, 
constructive, and productive.
    The successful exchange of visits between the two heads of state of 
China and the United States marks a new stage of growth for China-U.S. 
relations. This not only serves the common interests of China and the 
United States, but also will be of important significance to promoting 
peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and the world at 
large.
    Peace and the development are the main themes of contemporary times. 
In the new historical conditions, the common interests between China and 
the United States are increasing, not decreasing. The foundation for 
cooperation between the two countries is reenforcing, not weakening.
    Both sides believe that China and the United States, as the 
permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, should continue to work 
together to promote peace and security in the world and the Asia-Pacific 
in particular, to ease and eliminate all kinds of tensions and to 
prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to strengthen 
the efforts in protecting the environment, combating international 
crime, drug trafficking, and international terrorism. Our two sides have 
agreed to further step up cooperation and the dialog between the two 
countries on major international issues.

[[Page 1246]]

    China-U.S. relations are improving and growing. The cooperation 
between the two sides in many areas has made important progress. 
President Clinton and I have decided that China and the United States 
will not target the strategic nuclear weapons under their respective 
control at each other. This demonstrates to the entire world that China 
and the United States are partners, not adversaries.
    I hereby wish to reiterate that since the very first day when China 
came into possession of nuclear weapons, China has undertaken not to be 
the first to use nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
    President Clinton and I have reached a broad range of agreements and 
consensus on further increasing exchanges in cooperation between China 
and the United States in all areas in our bilateral relations. We have 
agreed to take positive steps to promote the growth of the mutually 
beneficial economic cooperation and trade between China and the United 
States and to expand the exchanges and the cooperation between the two 
countries in the energy, environment, scientific, educational, cultural, 
health, legal, and the military fields, and also to enhance the people-
to-people exchanges and friendship.
    We have also agreed to enhance the consultations and the cooperation 
between China and the United States on the issues of disarmament, arms 
control, and nonproliferation. And we have issued joint statements on 
the BWC protocol, on the question of the antipersonnel landmines, and on 
the question of South Asia.
    The Taiwan question is the most important and the most sensitive 
issue at the core of China-U.S. relations. We hope that the U.S. side 
will adhere to the principles set forth in the three China-U.S. joint 
communiques and the joint China-U.S. statement, as well as the relevant 
commitments it has made in the interest of a smooth growth of China-U.S. 
relations.
    The improvement and the growth of China-U.S. relations have not come 
by easily. It is the result of the concerted efforts of the Governments 
and people of our two countries. So we should all the more treasure this 
good result.
    As China and the United States have different social systems, 
ideologies, values, and culture traditions, we have some difference of 
views on certain issues. However, they should not become the obstacles 
in the way of the growth of China-U.S. relations. The world is a 
colorful one. The development parts of the countries in the world should 
be chosen by the people of the countries concerned.
    China and the United States should view and handle the bilateral 
relations from a long-term and strategic perspective. We should promote 
the growth of China-U.S. relations in the spirit of mutual respect, 
equality, mutual benefit, seeking common ground while putting aside 
differences and developing cooperation. I believe that through the 
concerted efforts of both sides, we will make constant progress in the 
direction of building a constructive, strategic partnership between 
China and the United States oriented towards the 21st century.
    President Clinton. Thank you, Mr. President. And I also thank the 
Chinese people for their warm welcome to me, to my family, and to our 
delegation.
    Over the past 5 years, President Jiang and I have met seven times. 
Mr. President, your leadership is helping us to transform our nations' 
relationship for the future. Clearly, a stable, open, prosperous China, 
shouldering its responsibilities for a safer world is good for America. 
Nothing makes that point better than today's agreement not to target our 
nuclear missiles at each other. We also agreed to do more to shore up 
stability in Asia, on the Korean Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent.
    I reaffirmed our longstanding ``one China'' policy to President 
Jiang and urged the pursuit of cross-strait discussions recently resumed 
as the best path to a peaceful resolution. In a similar vein, I urged 
President Jiang to assume a dialog with the Dalai Lama in return for the 
recognition that Tibet is a part of China and in recognition of the 
unique cultural and religious heritage of that region.
    I welcome the progress we made today in nonproliferation, including 
China's decision to actively study joining the Missile Technology 
Control Regime, our joint commitment not to provide assistance to 
ballistic

[[Page 1247]]

missile programs in South Asia, and President Jiang's statement last 
week that China will not sell missiles to Iran.
    We also welcome the steps China recently has taken to tighten 
nuclear export controls, to strengthen controls on the export of 
chemicals that can be turned into weapons, and to work jointly with us 
to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention.
    As the President said, we are also working together against 
international crime, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, stepping up our 
scientific cooperation, which already has produced remarkable 
breakthroughs in areas including the fight against birth defects like 
spina bifida. We're helping to eradicate polio and working to predict 
and to mitigate national disasters. And perhaps most important over the 
long run, we are committed to working together on clean energy to 
preserve our natural environment, a matter of urgent concern to both our 
nations. I am also very pleased by our cooperation on rule of law 
programs, from training lawyers and judges to providing legal assistance 
to the poor.
    President Jiang and I agree on the importance of China's entry into 
the World Trade Organization. I regret we did not make more progress on 
this front, and we must recommit ourselves to achieving that goal on 
strong terms. We agree that we need to work together to avoid another 
round of destabilizing currency devaluations in the region and to 
restore economic growth.
    As you can see, we are working together in many areas of 
cooperation. We have developed a relationship of openness and candor. 
When we differ, as we do from time to time, we speak openly and honestly 
in an effort to understand our differences and, if possible, to work 
toward a common approach to resolving them.
    It is well known that the principal area of our difference in recent 
years has been over human rights questions. America recognizes and 
applauds China's economic and social transformation which has expanded 
the rights of its citizens by lifting hundreds of millions from poverty, 
providing them greater access to information, giving them village 
elections, greater freedom to travel and to choose their own jobs, and 
better education for their children.
    As I said again to President Jiang, we Americans also firmly believe 
that individual rights, including the freedom of speech, association, 
and religion, are very important, not only to those who exercise them 
but also to nations whose success in the 21st century depends upon 
widespread individual knowledge, creativity, free exchange, and 
enterprise.
    Therefore, we welcome China's decision to sign the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the recent release of several 
prominent political dissidents, the recent visit China graciously 
accorded American religious leaders, and the resumption of a human 
rights dialog between China and the United States.
    Earlier this morning, during my official welcome, I could hear and 
see the many echoes of China's past and the call of its promising 
future, for Tiananmen Square is an historical place. There, 100 years 
ago, China's quest for constitutional government was born. There, in 
1919, young people rallied against foreign occupation and launched a 
powerful movement for China's political and cultural renewal. There, in 
1976, public mourning for Zhou Enlai led to the Cultural Revolution's 
end and the beginning of your remarkable transformation. And there, 9 
years ago, Chinese citizens of all ages raised their voices for 

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