Embrace democracy, just like Taiwan, Bush tells China
US president George Bush urged China to grant more political freedom to its 1.3 billion people and held up arch-rival Taiwan as a society that successfully moved from repression to democracy as it opened its economy.
In remarks sure to anger Beijing, Bush suggested China should follow Taiwan’s path.
“Modern Taiwan is free and democratic and prosperous. By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society,” the president said.
Bush made his remarks in the advance text of a speech that was to be the cornerstone address of his Asian trip. From Japan, he will continue to South Korea, China and Mongolia.
At a state guest house, Bush met Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, an unflinching ally despite the president’s record-low popularity and mounting problems at home.
The president called Koizumi his “buddy”. Bush wants Japan to play a stronger role in Asian security issues, perhaps as a counterbalance to China’s growing strength, vast army and designs on US ally Taiwan.
Koizumi supported the US-led invasion of Iraq and made an unpopular decision to send non-combat troops there in January 2004. That mission expires next month and Bush has indicated he would not press his friend for a decision on whether to extend it.
In his prepared speech, Bush said that China’s economic growth must be accompanied by more freedoms for its people.
“As China reforms its economy,” the president said, “its leaders are finding that once the door to freedom is opened even a crack, it cannot be closed. As the people of China grow in prosperity, their demands for political freedom will grow as well.”
Bush also lectured China about opening its economy to foreign competition to narrow the expected £111bn (€163m) trade surplus with the US.
“China needs to provide a level playing field for American businesses seeking access to China’s market,” Bush said. Further, he said, China must fulfil its promise to move towards a more market-based currency.
Bush’s warm words about Taiwan could chill his reception in Beijing later this week when the president, to make a point about religious freedom, also plans to worship at one of five officially-recognised Protestant churches in the city.
Bush said Chinese president Hu Jintao had asserted that his vision of “peaceful development” would make the Chinese people more prosperous.
“I have pointed out that the people of China want more freedom to express themselves … to worship without state control … and to print bibles and other sacred texts without state control,” Bush said.
By talking about Taiwan, Bush was raising an issue that has been a major US-Chinese irritant.
Taiwan, 100 miles off China’s southern coast, split from the mainland when nationalist leaders fled there in 1949 during China’s civil war. Since then, Beijing has threatened repeatedly to use force against the self-governed island that China claims as its own.
The island has had de facto independence for more than 50 years, largely because of American support.
