President Bill Clinton, Chinese President Jiang Zemin -- Oct. 29, 1997

CLINTON: Good afternoon.

Mr. President, let me again say how pleased we are to welcome the leader of a great people with a remarkable civilization, history and culture, a people now with its focus on the

future.

Your visit gives us the opportunity and the responsibility to build a future that is more secure, more peaceful, more prosperous for both our people.

To that end, I am pleased that we have agreed to regular summit meetings. I look forward to visiting China next year.

We also have agreed to high-level dialogues between our Cabinet officials on a full range of security matters. And we will connect a presidential hotline to make it easier for us to confer at a moment's notice.

China and the United States share a profound interest in a stable, prosperous, open Asia.

We've worked well together in convincing North Korea to end its dangerous nuclear program. Today, President Jiang and I agreed we will urge Pyongyang to take part in four-party peace talks with South Korea. We also agreed to strengthen contacts between our militaries, including through a maritime agreement to decrease the chances of miscalculation and increase America's ties to a new generation of China's military leaders.

A key to Asia's stability is a peaceful and prosperous relationship between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. I reiterated America's long-standing commitment to a One China Policy.

It has allowed democracy to flourish in Taiwan and provides the framework in which all three relationships can prosper. Between the United States and the PRC, the United States and Taiwan, and Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.

I told President Jiang that we hoped the People's Republic and Taiwan would resume a constructive cross-Strait dialogue and expand cross-Strait exchanges. Ultimately, the relationship between the PRC and Taiwan is for the Chinese themselves to determine, peacefully.

President Jiang and I agreed that the United States and China share a strong interest in stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction and other sophisticated weaponry in unstable regions and rogue states, notably Iran. I welcome the steps China has taken and the clear assurances it has given today to help prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and related technology.

On the basis of these steps and assurances, I agreed to move ahead with the U.S.-China agreement for cooperation concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It will allow our companies to apply for licenses to sell equipment to Chinese nuclear power plants, subject to U.S. monitoring. This agreement is a win, win, win. It serves America's national security, environmental and economic interests.

President Jiang and I agreed to increase the cooperation between our countries in fighting international organized crime, drug trafficking and alien smuggling. Our law enforcement officials will share information and consult regularly. And starting next year, we will station Drug Enforcement Administration officers in Beijing.

I'm also pleased that we will expand our cooperation on rule of law programs. Through them, we'll help China to train judges and lawyers, increase our exchanges of legal experts and materials, strengthen commercial law and arbitration in China, and share ideas on issues such as legal aid and administrative reform.

In both China and the United States, trade has been a critical catalyst for growth. China is the fastest-growing market in the world for our goods and services. Tomorrow, Boeing will sign a contract for the largest sale of airplanes to China in history, 50 jets valued at $3 billion. This contract will support tens of thousands of American jobs and provide China with a modern fleet of passenger planes.

Still, access to China's market remains restricted for many American goods and services. Just as China can compete freely and fairly in America, so our goods and services should be able to complete freely and fairly in China.

The United States will do everything possible to bring China into the World Trade Organization as soon as possible provided China improves the access to its market. China's decision today to join the Information Technology Agreement -- which cuts to zero tariffs on computers, semiconductors and telecommunications equipment -- is a strong step in the right direction.

As we pursue growth, we must also protect out shared environment. Already, pollution has made respiratory illness the leading health problem in China. Today, our countries agreed to a joint initiative that will help China reduce air pollution and increase clean energy production, including through the use of American technology. The initiative builds upon the work begun by the vice president in Beijing this spring.

I also discussed with President Jiang the special responsibility our nations bear as the top two emitters of greenhouse gasses to lead in finding a global solution to the global problem of climate change.

This is a proud agenda in which China and the United States share important interests that we can best advance by working together.

But we also have fundamental differences, especially concerning human rights and religious freedom. I'm convinced the best way to address them is directly and personally, as we did yesterday and today, and as we will continue to do until this issue is no longer before us, when there is full room for debate, dissent and freedom to worship as part of the fabric of a truly free Chinese society...

... We believe liberty includes freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of association. We believe governments must protect those rights.

These ideas grew out of the European enlightenment, but today they are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not as the birthright of Americans or Westerners, but of people everywhere.

I welcome China's decision to invite a delegation of distinguished American religious leaders to China, to pursue a dialogue on religious freedom.

I am pleased we have recommitted to discuss our difference over human rights at both governmental and nongovernmental levels.

Mr. President, China has known more millennia than America has known centuries.

: But for more than 220 years, we have been conducting our great experiment in democracy. We still struggle to work to make it work every day, and we know it requires struggle every day.

The American people greatly admire China's extraordinary economic transformation. And we understand the importance that your own experiences and your present challenges lead you to place upon maintaining stability. We also appreciate the fact that human rights have been advanced in China by greater freedom from want, freedom of movement in career choice, and widely held local elections.

But we also believe that China will enjoy more growth and more stability as it embraces more fully the political, as well as the economic aspirations of all your people.

It is China's extraordinary human resources that will lift it to its rightful destiny of leadership and widely held prosperity in the 21st century.

As we look ahead, the United States welcomes China's emergence as a full and constructive partner in the community of nations, a great nation that joins its strength and influence to our own to advance peace and prosperity, freedom and security.

Mr. President, thank you for coming to the United States. We look forward to building on the good work of this day so that the best days for all our people are yet to come.

JIANG (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Ladies and gentlemen, a while ago, I had an in-depth exchange of views with President Clinton on China-U.S. relations and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The meeting was constructive and full.

President Clinton and I have agreed on identifying the goals for the development of a China-U.S. relationship oriented toward the 21st century.

The two sides believe that efforts to realize this goal will promote the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the noble cause of world peace and development.

We both agree that our two countries share extensive common interests in important matters bearing on the survival and development of mankind, such as peace and development, economic cooperation and trade, the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and environment protection.

Both sides are of the view that it is imperative to handle China- U.S. relations and properly address our differences in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, noninterference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and seeking common ground while putting aside differences.

President Clinton and I have also reached broad agreement on the establishment of a mechanism of regular summit meetings; the opening of a hot line between the two heads of state; the establishment of a mechanism of meetings and consultations between the two foreign ministers and other officials; an

Copyright © 1997 Federal Document Clearing House

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