Touching all bases in China

Days after nudging China on political reform and religious freedom, President Bush arrived in the communist nation on Saturday with business deals and the stalemate over North Korea's nuclear programme topping his priorities.

Bush was to attend a state-approved Protestant church in the capital yesterday, then quickly shift to the primary focus of his two-day stay, meeting privately with Chinese President Hu Jingtao to discuss expanding trade, cooperating on preventing a bird flu pandemic, and North Korea.

He also was scheduled to ride his mountain bike with Chinese athletes. The event, intended to promote China's status as the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, was expected to receive widespread coverage by the state-run media, in stark contrast to the church visit.

Bush arrived as administration officials hailed China's decision to buy 70 new 737 aircraft from Seattle-based Boeing as a "testament to how our approach to China is yielding real results".

Signalling his chief interest in China, Bush taped his weekly radio spot from Beijing, focusing entirely on business and trade issues.

He did not mention the human rights concerns that made headlines in his Wednesday speech from Kyoto, Japan.

His praise of rival Taiwan in the speech as a model for broader democratic reforms in the mainland drew protests from Chinese government officials.

On this third visit to China as president, Bush said he intended to demand what he called "free and fair'' trade, a catchphrase intended to satisfy industries that want access to Chinese markets while mollifying labour advocates and other critics who worry that free trade hurts workers.

He also said he would raise the festering question of the value of China's currency, which is kept low to enable Chinese products to sell more competitively on the world market.

"Access to American markets has played an important role in China's economic development,'' Bush said. "And China needs to provide a level playing field for American farmers and businesses seeking access to China's market.''

The China visit came near the end of a weeklong trip to Asia that, in addition to trade issues and the North Korea nuclear threat, has been shadowed by questions over Iraq.

On his way to China from South Korea, where he huddled with Pacific Rim leaders as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Bush stopped at the Osan Air Base to deliver a blistering attack on critics calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

Bush's visit to China underscored the sensitive nature of the relationship with a fast-rising economic and military superpower that is challenging the US for influence in Asia and around the world.

Bush "begins with the starting premise that we are in a position to strengthen US-China relations and that we can do so based on a comprehensive and a cooperative and a constructive and a candid dialogue,'' said Mike Green, a White House adviser on Asia, in a briefing with reporters. The need for nuance was evident from the outset.

Potentially provocative

Bush avoided a potentially provocative gesture by choosing to attend a church approved by the Communist Party.

And while he pointed to Taiwan as a democratic model, Bush reiterated his opposition to official independence for the island.

China has pursued closer ties with North Korea and Iran, two countries that US officials believe are trying to construct nuclear weapons programmes.

The US needs China's help in talks, which also involve South Korea, Japan and Russia, to curb North Korea's nuclear programme.

Aides said Bush would seek China's help to ensure that Kim Jong Il's regime lives up to its September agreement in principle to end his country's nuclear programme.

On trade, Bush said the agreement struck earlier this month to ease restrictions on Chinese imports of textiles and clothing to the US demonstrated that "with hard work and determination, we can come together to resolve difficult trading issues''.

White House aides said Bush expected "concrete'' actions by China following up on Hu's promise during a September meeting in New York to crack down on rampant violations of intellectual property rights

Some critics have accused Bush of allowing the US trade deficit with China to approach $200 billion (Dh734 billion) and giving Hu's government extraordinary controls over the US economy.

Los Angeles Times-Washington Post