Bush chides China on human rights, Beijing tells him to butt out

Before he left for Asia, President Bush said repeatedly that he was going to Beijing for the Olympics, not for diplomacy. "I made a decision not to politicize the Games; this is for athletics," he said at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, where he talked to U.S. troops and refueled before heading to his first stop in South Korea.

Critics, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, warned that the president's presence at the Games -- he'll attend the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow -- could be misconstrued as supporting the communist regime in Beijing.

But ever since he's left, in every way possible, Bush has been making clear to China that its human rights record -- like denying U.S. speed skater Joey Cheek a visa because of his humanitarian effort to help starving Sudanese in Darfur -- is  repressive. In Thailand today, before heading to Beijing, he said:

America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents and human rights advocates and religious activists. We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly, and labor rights, not to antagonize China's leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential. We press for openness and justice, not to impose our beliefs, but to allow the Chinese people to express theirs. As Chinese scientist Xu Liangying has said: "Human nature is universal and needs to pursue freedom and equality."

Bush tried to soften his message by coupling it with praise for China's economic reforms and for the robust turn in U.S.-Chinese relations.

But the human rights quote was delivered loud and clear in Beijing, where the communist regime answered back quickly rejecting the president's advice. In a statement carried on CNN, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said:

We firmly oppose any statements or deeds which use human rights, religion and other issues to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries. Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of religion in accordance with the law. These facts are well known. Regarding the Sino-U.S. differences on issues including human rights and religion, we have always insisted on dialogue and communication based on mutual equality and mutual respect, in order to enhance understanding, reduce differences and to expand consensus.

Talk about ping-pong diplomacy: Next came news from the White House that Bush will attend church at the Kuanjie Protest Christian Church in Beijing on Sunday before meeting with President Hu Jintao. A Christian church in Communist China. No response yet from the government.

Meanwhile the president -- and First Lady Laura Bush -- made a major push while in Thailand to boost pressure on the military junta in Myanmar (Burma) to accept democratic reforms.

Visiting a refugee camp just six miles from the border, Mrs. Bush recalled the 20th anniversary of an uprising that led to 3,000 deaths. "Twenty years have gone by, everything is still the same or maybe worse in Burma," she said after a two-hour tour.

The president meanwhile told activists: "I want you to know, and I want the people of your country to know, the American people care deeply about the people of Burma, and we pray for the day in which the people will be free."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[TrueFan1947]

What a ludicrous "theater of the absurd" situation! Here we have the POTUS, GW Bush, lecturing people about human rights! After his record in the Middle East, what possible moral grounds does he have to pontificate on this subject?

[Clyoness]

What nerve that hypocritical lame duck has! And how embarrassing.... I wish he'd kept his big mouth shut.

[Mike James]

What nerve GW Bush has preaching to other countries about human rights, freedom of the press! I can't wait until this joker leaves the white house. Someone impeach him already.

[makis]

bush and every bush and china must learn that the olympics are games to be conducted under Ekecheiria or Tuce for their duration, the requiremnts are stop executions at home ,stop war at home and abroad,allow every one to participate,and hurt nobody, as long as these are kept then the olympic principles have been met,
the olympics are not a tool to solve teh worlds problems ,and china does have its share/ its not the united nations ,its only about peace at the games by all ,
the goverments of the world should stop hijacking its cameras toconvey their political massages, just like the host country should allow absolutely free communication to to convey the true and real massage of the games as is seen and felt by all atheltes and spectators alike

[Maria]

IS HE TRYING TO PISS US OFF?! HOW EMBARRASSING!!! HE GIVES AMERICA A BAD NAME WHEN HE SAID, "I want you to know, and I want the people of your country to know, the American people care deeply about the people of Burma, and we pray for the day in which the people will be free."

WHAT A HYPOCRIT!

[James Fisgus, M.D.]

President George W. Bush should be praised for his common sense criticism of the Communist Chinese Goverment and it's dismal human rights record. The Chinese continue to place the heavy yoke of communism on its people denying them basic freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, a free press, and on and on. As time passes fewer Americans recall the horrors of Soviet communism or the great and long struggle fought by the USA for human rights in Asia, Europe and elsewhere in the world. President Bush has given the people of Iraq the only real chance for freedom and democracy they have ever had in their or their fathers lifetimes. Presdeint Bush has placed the safety and freedom of the American people at the top of his agenda irregardless of political costs or expediencies. Thanks to President Bush no repeat attack has been suffered in America since 9/11. History will clearly show that today's misinformed and politically driven individuals, who have chosen jaded criticism of President Bush, have been absolutely and unequivocally wrong. They are by and large the same people who criticized President Reagan, now recognized as one our greatest President's and the one individual clearly given the credit for the defeat of Soviet Communism.
Thank God for President Bush.

[Sunny Smoothe]

Did someone just compare Bush to Reagan? How do you respond to something as ridiculous as that. Unbelievable.

[jajan]

I am wondering who advises the president. Our hard earned tax money has been wasted on statements like that.when you hear this kind of statements, you can of ask yourself if his advisors check his record before they tell hem to talk about human righsts.What a shame! Now, the Chinese are laughing whenever they hear him talking about rights.

[H]

Those who live in glass houses...

[Joe]

China has ¼ the population of the World. The President should be there. I don't like Dick Cheney and he shouldn't be there.

[jkim]

CHINA'S GOVERNMENT IS LAME ! i feel bad for the ppl who live there and know no better, thats why they come here in large cargo containers, i would risk my life coming here too ..makes me happy to be an American!

[Wesstexacan]

If we would take the airplanes and all the others that go with it from George W Bush we sure could save a lot of gas. He is an embarrasssssemmmennnnttt to Texas.

[fran]

yay for pres bush attending and BOO to all you ignorant people who try to relate his actions in Iraq to the evil's of the chinese government!! please learn to think! its a lot harder to actually think and reason than to re-cant all the stupid propaganda you bring up here. wow