Posted on 11/20/2004 8:55:57 PM PST by Lessismore
DAMAGE CONTROL: US President George W. Bush met the Chinese president in Chile yesterday, apparently voicing sustained opposition to Taiwan's independence
AP , SANTIAGO, CHILE
With fresh support from China in hand, US President George W. Bush hopes to minimize public differences with Asian allies over how to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions and come back to the bargaining table.
On the sidelines of a weekend-long economic summit with Pacific Rim leaders, Bush met yesterday in quick succession with all four of the US' partners in now-stalled talks with the communist regime.
China was first up, and Chinese President Hu Jintao (JÀAÀÜ) said after the meeting, "We ... exchanged views on the question of Taiwan. I expressed my high appreciation to Bush's adherence to the `one China' policy and the three communiques, and to his opposition to [Taiwan's] independence."
A senior Chinese government official, appearing in Santiago on Friday, said China will push for North Korea to resume negotiations.
"I believe you can never push too hard for a good purpose," said Kong Quan, chief spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Meetings with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Russia were to follow.
Believing that having all five partners on the same page from a high-profile international summit will have an impact on North Korea, Bush's goal is a tough united front reinforcing a demand that North Korea completely give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and insisting that any talks with Pyong-yang occur only with all the partners present.
With North Korea demanding economic aid and US guarantees of nonaggression as incentives, South Korea and China, in particular, have suggested it may be necessary to be more flexible.
"We've put forward a realistic proposal and we're not interested, none of us are interested, in sort of negotiating among ourselves at this point," a senior White House official said. "There is something concrete to talk about; the North Koreans need to come back to the table to talk about it."
I disagree about what was said in the so-called letter of apology, but I'm too busy with care packages for the troops now to run down the old information.
Feel free to continue if you want, I will respond.
He's giving up (US support of) Taiwanese independence to stop North Korea. An unpalatable trade at best, but geopolitical realities have a way of trampling on romantic notions.
We can't deal with Iraq/Iran and North Korea at the same time, and everybody knows it. We've chosen to play our cards in the Middle East, which by default means that China will be able to play a stronger hand in Asia.
One regret, two sorrys.
Sorry for entering their airspace and landing without their permission.
Marker for self. Bush, Hu Jintao agree on North Korea, Taiwan.
If there are calamities ahead, the one who trusts the Lord and is walking in obedience to Him will be "in the secret place of the Most High & shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". (As is Psalm 91, and yes, it still applies in year 2004.)
Now, His way of providing "the secret place of the most high" and "the shadow of the almighty" will vary from one believer to the next, but undoubtedly will be there as an expression of His love and provision.
For those of us who have committed our lives to the Lord Jesus, reminders such as yours are good so we stay focused and obedient, and also so we will share with others who might not yet believe, share He is real, and He is good, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and that no man cometh to the Father except by Him. And He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory!
And indeed, the wise man lives each day ready to die at a moment's notice, to go and meet his maker, and to be ready for the thing that comes after this, the Judgment.
And whether folks like it or not, there are signs that we are, as it says in the Bible, in the last days of mankind. If that is the case, as you say, each family will be safest if they are, to the best of their ability, smack dab in the middle of God's sovereign will for their life. And then, come what may, miraculous deliverance, being thrown into the lion's den or other tribulation, or abruptly facing a sudden and unexpected death, they will be eligible for and indeed guaranteed of God's presence with them as they go through any of the above.
As for folks who have been too busy or too agnostic or too proud or too scornful or too comfortable or too arrogant or too religious or too legalistic or too lazy or too addicted or too successful to:
Seek Him, read the Word, pray, find a good church, faithfully attend said church, clean up their lives in obedience to God's commands, (stop sinning, stop cursing, stop doubting, stop rebelling, stop hating, stop watching TV, & cetra), they won't be ready. Their screams of terror will be heard all around and it may be too late then for them to call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save them. Some will cry out to Him at the last second and if it's not too late, He will gladly save them, even then. But some will have waited too long. Their screams of terror will continue as they experience death without the help of Him Who conquered death, Jesus Christ.
And how sad for those who were never even warned.
But, for FReepers who read these threads and then do nothing, if we are right, you'll wish you had. Might be worth stopping and thinking about, eh?
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