President George W. Bush
Documents & Texts from the White House
06 August 2008
Bush Pledges Continued Commitment to Asia
By David I. McKeeby
Staff Writer
Washington -- The United States has played a pivotal role in Asia's transformation from a region gripped by post-World War II poverty to a thriving economic powerhouse, says President Bush, pledging America’s continued commitment to strengthening diplomacy and trade ties, as well as confronting shared challenges across the region.
“Some have called this transformation ‘The Asian Miracle.’ In truth, it is no miracle at all. It is evidence of universal truths: The passion for liberty transcends culture and faith. Free markets unleash innovation and blaze the path to prosperity,” Bush said in remarks prepared for delivery in Bangkok, Thailand, August 7.
In the remarks commemorating the 175th anniversary of U.S.-Thai relations, Bush took stock of the evolution of policy in the region as his administration enters its final months in office.
Since the end of World War II, the United States has provided a stabilizing military presence in the region, Bush said, freeing emerging nations from concerns about their security, while stepping up diplomatic engagement across the region to help nations resolve their differences.
Meanwhile, by opening its markets to Asian exports, the United States helped new economies take shape. Today, more trade crosses the Pacific than the Atlantic, Bush said, with more than $1 trillion in U.S. trade with the region during 2007.
Across the region, political freedoms have followed economic prosperity, Bush said. Where Australia and New Zealand were once the region’s sole democracies, free enterprise, free trade and the rule of law have transformed societies from South Korea to Singapore.
The United States would continue to build “confident and purposeful alliances” across Asia, Bush said, pointing to increased U.S. security cooperation with Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand. He also highlighted U.S. efforts to foster democracy in Mongolia, improved ties with India and Indonesia, and expanded cooperation with regional bodies, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Bush called on Asian nations to continue working with the United States against terrorism and to meet the challenges of climate change, natural disasters and pandemic. He also cited efforts to bring progress to Burma and North Korea, where repressive regimes have denied their citizens opportunities available to the rest of the region.
“The forces of freedom and hope that unleashed the transformation of Asia can never be turned back,” Bush said. “I am confident because I know the bonds between America and our friends in Asia will never be broken.”
STRONG U.S.-CHINA TIES ESSENTIAL TO REGION
Speaking on the eve of his trip to Beijing for the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games, Bush said China has seen one of the region’s most dramatic transformations. “A peaceful and successful future for this region requires the strong involvement of both China and the United States.”
U.S. commitment to diplomacy, trade, and confronting shared challenges is especially relevant to its engagement with China, Bush said. Economic growth sparked by China’s free market reforms is good for the Chinese people, who are building a confident middle class with a stake in a peaceful future, he said, while China’s new purchasing power provides an enormous market for exports from across the globe.
On the security front, Bush praised China’s leadership of the Six-Party Talks to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. On Taiwan, Bush reiterated Washington’s commitment to the “one China” policy, three joint communiqués, and its steadfast commitment to the security of Taiwan’s democracy under the Taiwan Relations Act.
“As a result of this frank engagement and firm diplomacy, the tensions that once roiled the Taiwan Strait have calmed, and we are witnessing a new period of stability and peace,” Bush said.
Constructive economic and diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing help facilitate “honest and direct” dialogue over differences on human rights and religious freedoms, Bush said.
“America stands in firm opposition to China’s detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates, and religious activists,” Bush said. “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,” he added.
Only China can decide what course it will follow, Bush said, but he expressed optimism that once again political freedoms will follow economic prosperity. “Change in China will arrive on its own terms and in keeping with its own history and traditions. Yet change will arrive.”
Text of Bush’s prepared remarks is available on America.gov.
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