Bush sees China as 'strategic partner'
Washington (dpa) - Chinese President Hu Jintao gave little ground on trade, human rights and Iran during a friendly reception at the White House, but he did get an earful from a Falun Gong protester.
Despite the disruption at the pomp-filled welcoming ceremony, the Chinese leader reaped a key reward with President George W Bush's pledge that the US views China as a long-term strategic partner.
"As stakeholders in the international system, our two nations share many strategic interests," Bush said in welcoming his guest.
Hu sought to dampen US fears that China is developing into a military rival in the Pacific and over its recent sabre-rattling on Taiwan, which the communist mainland views as a renegade province.
China is "firmly committed to the path of peaceful development," Hu said with Bush standing at his side.
But differences in the two agendas were barely concealed, starting with the delicate balance over the details of Hu's reception at the White House.
Eager to be viewed as a statesman back home, Hu wanted his first trip to the US to be recognized as a formal state visit. Bush stopped short of hosting the requisite black-tie dinner, but Hu was greeted with full military honours and a 21-gun salute.
Arriving after two days on the US West Coast promoting business ties, he also got a nod from Bush before a joint lunch when Bush said he would "continue to seek President Hu's advice and cooperation."
Another key point for Hu was Bush's restatement of Washington's one-China policy that stops short of backing independence for Taiwan.
Bush did remind Hu of the "importance of respecting human rights and freedoms" in China and urged Beijing to further open its markets to US goods and services to help shrink China's 202-billion-dollar surplus with the US last year - which Bush called "unsustainable."
Another point of underlying friction was Iran's nuclear programme, where the United States is pressing for stronger diplomatic pressure than China is willing to support, to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.
China opposes sanctions on Iran, though it has so far refrained from using its veto power in the UN Security Council.
Analysts point to China's growing energy demand that has led it to seek oil from countries such as Iran and Sudan.
But Hu offered no concessions, saying only that he and Bush were committed to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power. He also evoked little urgency about spurring six-nation talks with North Korea on that country's nuclear efforts.
The carefully scripted protocol was undercut shortly after Hu's arrival when a heckler screamed at him on the White House lawn, accusing China of suppressing the Falun Gong religious movement.
Hu momentarily halted his arrival statement, but Bush encouraged him to continue and three security officers hustled the woman away. Security officials identified her as a reporter for a Falun Gong- affiliated newspaper, CNN reported.
Bush went on to have a "very good conversation" with Hu and expressed regret for the incident, US national security adviser Stephen Hadley told CNN.
"It should not have happened," Hadley said. "The president expressed regret and the Chinese delegation, I think, understood."
He said the woman represented "a legitimate newspaper" and had previously attended White House events, so security officials had no reason to bar her.
Outside the White House, several hundred opponents of the Chinese government protested Hu's visit.
When Hu unexpectedly took questions from reporters, he stood firm when asked about democracy in China. The communist leadership's goal is "socialist democracy" coupled with political stability, he said.
On booming US-Chinese commercial ties, Hu suggested that China was doing what it could to address the US trade gap.
Turning the tables on Bush, he urged the US to lift restrictions on sensitive technology exports to China and "create a level playing field" for Chinese companies that want to enter the US market.
Bush came into the talks facing calls in the US Congress for protection against Chinese imports and public opinion that tends to view China negatively.
But he pointed to Chinese pledges to shift its economy from exports to consumer demand and said that would offer opportunities for US companies.
"We don't agree on everything, but we're able to discuss our disagreements in a spirit of friendship and cooperation," Bush said.
.
