Interview of the President Bush by Fuqing Yang, CCTV
July 30, 2008
Q So thank you very much, Mr. President, for joining us.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.
Q The much anticipated Beijing Olympic Games will be opening in Beijing in just about a week's time. And you will be attending the Opening Ceremonies on August the 8th. And the Chinese people are very much looking forward to your visit. So, at this moment, what are your expectations for the Beijing Games? And what kind of messages will you bring to the Chinese people?
THE PRESIDENT: First message to the Chinese people is, I respect the Chinese people -- respect the history, tradition. And I'm coming as the President of a friend, and I'm coming as a sportsman. And I'm looking forward to the competition.
I'm looking forward to seeing -- I think I'm going to go to the U.S.-Chinese basketball game. I understand Yao Ming is back on the court, and it will be an interesting challenge for the U.S. team. It will be exciting for me to see the athletes compete, and to watch the Chinese fans respond, in this case, to the basketball game.
It's going to be exciting. And I'm not coming alone. My wife is coming. A lot of my family is coming as well. So it's going to be great.
Q Okay. You are under a kind of pressure from politicians here in Washington who call on you not to go to Beijing.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q But you insist on going. So out of what consideration did you make such a decision?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I'm under pressure from politicians on a lot of fronts. I mean, this isn't the only issue that I get pressured on. And Presidents need to make their decision based upon what's best, not what's political.
And I think it's best for U.S.-China's relations that I go. I know it's important for me to send a clear signal to the Chinese people that we respect them. I tell people that of course we've got differences with China on issues. They've got differences with us on issues.
But the best way to conduct our diplomacy, and conduct our relations, is out of mutual respect. And it's much more likely a Chinese leader will listen to my concerns if he knows I respect the people of China. And so I'm looking forward to going. I'm going to have a dinner with President Hu Jintao, who I like. I respect the man a lot.
And do we agree on everything? Of course not. But do we agree to have good, cordial relations, and work hard to make our relationship unique and strong? Absolutely.
Q On the agenda of your visit to Beijing, you will be attending the opening ceremony of the new U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.
Q And the new Chinese Embassy was just opened in Washington.
THE PRESIDENT: Last night. Yes, I know it. Isn't that exciting?
Q Yes, very exciting, a very beautiful building. I attended the opening ceremony.
THE PRESIDENT: That's what I hear. You know, I.M. Pei is a famous architect who did the Chinese building.
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: So it just shows 30 years of a relationship that grows. And I found it very interesting somebody said, well, what does that mean? Well, first of all, we wouldn't be opening new embassies or celebrating a 30th anniversary of relationship if, one, the relationships weren't important, and the relationships weren't good.
I mean, if the relationships were terrible, no one would be celebrating anything. But it's interesting that both countries are opening new embassies in the same month. And so I am looking -- well, not exactly the same month. Today is July and August. But in the same couple of weeks.
And so, yes, I'm going to go. And guess who is going to join me? President Bush 41, my father, will be there as well. And he was the man that introduced me to China in the first place, in 1975.
July 30, 2008
Q So thank you very much, Mr. President, for joining us.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.
Q The much anticipated Beijing Olympic Games will be opening in Beijing in just about a week's time. And you will be attending the Opening Ceremonies on August the 8th. And the Chinese people are very much looking forward to your visit. So, at this moment, what are your expectations for the Beijing Games? And what kind of messages will you bring to the Chinese people?
THE PRESIDENT: First message to the Chinese people is, I respect the Chinese people -- respect the history, tradition. And I'm coming as the President of a friend, and I'm coming as a sportsman. And I'm looking forward to the competition.
I'm looking forward to seeing -- I think I'm going to go to the U.S.-Chinese basketball game. I understand Yao Ming is back on the court, and it will be an interesting challenge for the U.S. team. It will be exciting for me to see the athletes compete, and to watch the Chinese fans respond, in this case, to the basketball game.
It's going to be exciting. And I'm not coming alone. My wife is coming. A lot of my family is coming as well. So it's going to be great.
Q Okay. You are under a kind of pressure from politicians here in Washington who call on you not to go to Beijing.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q But you insist on going. So out of what consideration did you make such a decision?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I'm under pressure from politicians on a lot of fronts. I mean, this isn't the only issue that I get pressured on. And Presidents need to make their decision based upon what's best, not what's political.
And I think it's best for U.S.-China's relations that I go. I know it's important for me to send a clear signal to the Chinese people that we respect them. I tell people that of course we've got differences with China on issues. They've got differences with us on issues.
But the best way to conduct our diplomacy, and conduct our relations, is out of mutual respect. And it's much more likely a Chinese leader will listen to my concerns if he knows I respect the people of China. And so I'm looking forward to going. I'm going to have a dinner with President Hu Jintao, who I like. I respect the man a lot.
And do we agree on everything? Of course not. But do we agree to have good, cordial relations, and work hard to make our relationship unique and strong? Absolutely.
Q On the agenda of your visit to Beijing, you will be attending the opening ceremony of the new U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.
Q And the new Chinese Embassy was just opened in Washington.
THE PRESIDENT: Last night. Yes, I know it. Isn't that exciting?
Q Yes, very exciting, a very beautiful building. I attended the opening ceremony.
THE PRESIDENT: That's what I hear. You know, I.M. Pei is a famous architect who did the Chinese building.
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: So it just shows 30 years of a relationship that grows. And I found it very interesting somebody said, well, what does that mean? Well, first of all, we wouldn't be opening new embassies or celebrating a 30th anniversary of relationship if, one, the relationships weren't important, and the relationships weren't good.
I mean, if the relationships were terrible, no one would be celebrating anything. But it's interesting that both countries are opening new embassies in the same month. And so I am looking -- well, not exactly the same month. Today is July and August. But in the same couple of weeks.
And so, yes, I'm going to go. And guess who is going to join me? President Bush 41, my father, will be there as well. And he was the man that introduced me to China in the first place, in 1975.