Transcript: U.S. and China Want Peaceful Resolution to North Korea's Nuclear Threat

U.S. Department of State's Office of International Information Programs ^ | 10-25-02 | President george W. Bush

[tallhappy]

From full text of press conference:

Q: Just now you said that the United States supports a one China policy. What concrete step would you take to translate this commitment into reality?

PRESIDENT BUSH: In terms of your question about the one China policy -- one China policy means that the issue ought to be resolved peacefully. We've got influence with some in the region; we intend to make sure that the issue is resolved peacefully -- and that includes making it clear that we do not support independence.

[tallhappy]

Very bad decision on the President's part.

I have been a huge supporter of his. I now lose a fair amount of respect for him and also confidience in his character and ability to withstand pressure and not act and speak things against his own principles.

Regardless, this will hurt President Bush in the long run. He simply undermines himself by going against his own principles and the Bush doctrine that has been developing.

Say it ain't so, Joe...

[tallhappy]

You were wrong Patricia. He did shaft Taiwan.

[applemac_g4]

I'll second that disappointment. If this is the sort of money grubbing, amoral foreign policy we're going to follow as a nation...I'd rather see a Demonrat president be responsible for it.

Are you listening Dubya? The natives that put you into office are restless.

[tallhappy]

The proper title to this post is

President Bush Shafts Taiwan

It is an accurate title and should not have been changed.

[tallhappy]

If you are going to change the title of this post, at least do it to one that accurately reflects the topic.

This post does not include anything about Korea and nukes.

Since you felt you had to change the title, change it to Bush says US does not support Independence for Taiwan.

It makes no sense as it is now.

[xm177e2]

I disagree Tallhappy, Bush hasn't sold out Taiwan at all. Look at the text of what he said:

On Taiwan, I emphasized to the President that our one China policy, based on the three communiques in the Taiwan Relations Act, remains unchanged. I stressed the need for dialogue between China and Taiwan that leads to a peaceful resolution of their differences.

Now look at the text of the Taiwan Relations Act, specifically:

(3) to make clear that the United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means;

(4) to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States;

(5) to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character; and

(6) to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.

(c) Nothing contained in this Act shall contravene the interest of the United States in human rights, especially with respect to the human rights of all the approximately eighteen million inhabitants of Taiwan. The preservation and enhancement of the human rights of all the people on Taiwan are hereby reaffirmed as objectives of the United States.

The ChiComs HATE the Taiwan Relations Act more than anything else, that's our guarantee of support for a free Taiwan for an indefinite period of time, supporting "reunification" only whenever the Taiwanese people feel like it. It is our guarantee not only to sell weapons to Taiwan, but to back them with US troops.

[elfman2]

"If you are going to change the title of this post, at least do it to one that accurately reflects the topic. This post does not include anything about Korea and nukes. "

Did you get this post that does speak of Korea and nukes confused with your other one in which Bush reinterated a 25 y/o policy?

[tallhappy]

Bush's statement contradicted the Taiwan Relations Act which explicitly recognizes Taiwan as independent from China.

Also, it says nothing about not supporting independence for Taiwan -- but it does say this act does not mean Taiwan is not independent (by saying it does not mean Taiwan cannot be part of international organizations).

You are simply wrong. Bush's comment about "not supporting independence" is not in the TRA, in fact contradicts it, and goes well beyond anything in the three communiques.

It's only precedent is Bill Clinton's 1998 three noes statement in Shanghai.

That is a nauseating thought, isn't.

President Bush went Clinton one better in appeasing and selling out the the ChiComs than even Clinton.

[GretchenEE]

Let us all remember daily that the business of China is lying.

[patriciaruth]

One China has been the U.S. policy for a couple decades. George W. Bush did not write the policy when it was adopted. It says clearly that only peaceful resolving of Taiwan issue is allowed, i.e. that China cannot forcefully make Taiwan part of China. It also has said all along that Taiwan cannot declare independence.

When this policy was written many years ago, that was when the "sell-out" occurred.

President George W. Bush has made no changes in the policy, but he has said he will commit U.S. forces to defend Taiwan if the People's Republic of China tries forcefully to occupy and subjugate it.

But Taiwan has the commitment of the U.S. to prevent its forceful occupation ONLY if they do not declare independence.

It's a crazy stalemate that was worked out by diplomats and appeasers a long time ago.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

[batter]

See this post for some current news links regarding the summit's results.

[tallhappy]

There is nothing more important than being intellectually honest patricia.

Your earlier comments were proven to be false -- Bush did do exactly what the earlier article said he would do.

You said he wouldn't do it. I didn't think he would either, but certainly am floored that he in fact did it.

Your response about China policy etc... is neither here nor there. The issue and my concern is that this hurts George Bush, our President, more than anything else.

He has seriously undercut himself and his moral authority. Undercut himselfs on issues of consistency or double standards. One could now question the integrity of decision making and committment to principles of freedom and democracy as the underlying values of our national ideals which are to be reflected in foreign policies and our domestic policies.

Put simply, why should anyone believe him when he says Palestine should be a democratic nation, Iraq should democratize etc... when he rhetorically sides with against a free democratic nation with a despotic, non-free ally of Axis of Evil states.

Fair or not, the above now become viable.

His comment is a self inflicted wound and the biggest blunder of his presidency.

[patriciaruth]

Your earlier comments were proven to be false -- Bush did do exactly what the earlier article said he would do.

You may not understand that the sell out of Formosa (Taiwan) occurred long ago when Formosa was thrown out of the United Nations and The People's Republic of China was seated. This happened because The United States of America at that time adopted the "One China" policy, which states that Taiwan is part of mainland China, but that China (the PRC) may not forcibly occupy and control Taiwan, that China can only come to dominate Taiwan politically by peaceful negotiation with Taiwan, recognizing that may take many decades.

This bilge of U.S. policy was not of President Bush's making, and he has not changed it.

My statement on another thread, which you called "intellectually dishonest" when compared to my statement above was "No, Bush is not going to sell out Taiwan. He wasn't planning on selling them Aegis, and maybe that's all he's doing is affirming that and our long standing "One China" policy."

The "One China" policy, whether you like it or not, means the United States long ago agreed that Taiwan cannot become "independent", but it also says that we will give Taiwan the means to defend itself from forcible absorption into the People's Republic of China. President Bush has also stated he would commit the power of the U.S. military to fight with Taiwan if China tried to occupy by force. And he has previously told the Taiwanese, as have other Presidents, that under "One China" policy, that if they declare independence, the U.S. cannot help them any longer.

The intellectual dishonesty is not mine but the diplomats and politicians who signed on to this piece of crap decades ago.

[tallhappy]

The intellectual dishonesty is not mine but the diplomats and politicians who signed on to this piece of crap decades ago.

Yes, defintiely.

But you are still missing the point.

President Bush went beyond the one Choina policy and any statement ever made by any US Presient concerning Taiwan's autnomy.

It was the wrong thing to do. It was not necessary and whatever he thinks he will get out of it, he won't.

We have to be honest with ourselves. Bush did do exactly what was warned in that earlier thread.