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Bush on One-China Policy, April 25, 2001

(Interviews with the President on his First 100 Days) (640)

Bush Reviews First 100 Days and U.S.-China Relations

The United States has an obligation to protect Taiwan from attack by
China, and will do so if necessary, President Bush said in a series of
interviews with news organizations to mark his 100th day in office,
which falls on Sunday, April 29.

"What I'm saying is that China must know that if circumstances
warrant, that we will uphold the spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act
and that they just have got to understand that. Clearly. They just
need to understand that we will do so. ... The Chinese have got to
understand that (military force) is clearly an option," Bush told the
Associated Press (AP) April 25.

In an April 24 interview with ABC News, broadcast April 25, Bush said
he would do "whatever it took" to defend Taiwan from an attack by
China.

In an April 25 interview with John King of the Cable News Network
(CNN), broadcast live from the White House, Bush was asked by King if
this were not a dramatic break with past policy. For the past 20
years, King said, U.S. Presidents have been deliberately ambiguous
about what they would do to defend Taiwan.

Bush responded: "I think the Chinese must hear that ours is an
administration, like other administrations, that is willing to uphold
the spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act and I will do so. However, I
think it's important for people to also note that mine is an
administration that strongly supports the one China policy, that we
expect any dispute to be resolved peacefully and that's the message I
really want people to hear.... Nothing has really changed in policy as
far as I am concerned. This is what other Presidents have said and I
will continue to say so."

"I certainly hope Taiwan adheres to the one-China policy," Bush said.
"And a declaration of independence is not the one-China policy and we
will work with Taiwan to make sure that that doesn't happen - we need
a peaceful resolution of this issue."

"Our nation will help Taiwan defend herself at the same time that we
support the one China policy where we expect, and hope, and believe
there will be a peaceful resolution in any differences of opinion," he
said.

Bush said relations with China are "difficult" and "complex" but a
relationship that his administration "takes very seriously. We'll find
areas where we can agree and we'll find areas where we don't agree but
we will do so in a respectful way. And there's going to be some times
where we are going to have to draw some lines and I'll be willing to
do so."

In an April 24 interview with the Washington Post, published in its
entirety April 25, Bush said he plans to drop the U.S. government's
annual review of weapons sales to Taiwan.

"We have made it clear to the Taiwanese that we will not have this
so-called annual review - that we will meet on an as-needed basis,"
Bush said. "Obviously, we reserve the right to continue to provide
defensive weapons to the Taiwanese," he said.

The President told the Washington Post that his proposed sale to
Taiwan of four naval destroyers, 12 anti-submarine aircraft and eight
diesel-electric submarines, is the "right package for the moment."

On other matters, Bush in his interviews said he is pleased with his
performance so far as President, and is optimistic that he can win a
big tax cut for Americans while improving education. He also defended
his environmental record.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)