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Bush deems China 'an ally'
By Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN Senior China Analyst
(CNN) -- Beijing and Washington have consolidated their "constructive, cooperative relationship" based on a new partnership of fighting global terrorism and nuclear proliferation. In his summit with President Jiang Zemin in the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas, President George W. Bush characterized the two countries as "allies in the fight against global terror." This was despite Beijing's non-committal stance on Washington's draft UN resolution on Iraq. And while Jiang reiterated China's commitment to helping keep the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free, he did not mention any action the Chinese government would take to oblige Pyongyang to stop its nuclear program. At the post-summit press conference, Bush said the U.S. was "building a relationship with China that is candid, constructive and cooperative." Both leaders also agreed to resume military exchanges, which were stopped immediately after the spy plane incident of April last year. Analysts say Jiang, who is retiring from his most important post of Communist party chief next month, is thus able to firm up his legacy as a "foreign policy president" who has improved ties with the world's lone super-power. Style over substance?However, while the Jiang team has reason to be satisfied with the positive symbolism of the summit, Beijing has not secured much in terms of substance. On Taiwan, seen by Beijing as the most sensitive bilateral issue, Bush reiterated Washington's long-standing one-China policy. And in an answer to a reporter from an official Chinese TV station, Bush added that "we do not support [Taiwan] independence." Prior to the summit, Jiang's aides had hoped that in return for China's cooperative attitude regarding North Korea and Iraq, Bush might agree to do more on Taiwan such as agreeing to limit the sale of arms to the self-ruled island. Political analysts in Beijing said Jiang had cause to feel unhappy with Bush's veiled criticism of Chinese efforts to suppress dissent in Xinjiang under the pretext of fighting terrorism. In his press conference Bush said: "No nation's efforts to counter terrorism should be used to justify suppressing minorities or silencing peaceful dissent." This was seen as an indirect criticism of the way Beijing had muzzled all anti-government and nationalistic activities among Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang under the name of cracking down on the outlawed East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Military ban remainsBush also urged Beijing to free prisoners of conscience and to consider "giving fair treatment to peoples of faith and preserving the rights of Hong Kong citizens." The two leaders agreed that defense consultation talks as the level of vice-defense minister, suspended since early last year, should be resumed soon. However, Jiang was unable to persuade U.S. leaders to at least partially lift the ban on the transfer of military-related high technology to China. At the press conference Jiang pronounced that "the prospect for cooperation between us has become broader rather than narrower." Beijing has invited Bush for a visit to China, and Vice-President Dick Cheney is scheduled to go to Beijing in the spring at the invitation of Vice-President Hu Jintao. From the Chinese perspective, outstanding bilateral problems on Taiwan and other issues will have to be dealt with by Hu, who will soon become party general secretary and state president. But Jiang seems confident thanks to his success in anchoring Sino-U.S. ties on a basis of "constructive cooperation," his successor can pursue future relations with the U.S. largely by following in his footsteps.
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