Thursday, 21 February, 2002
"Very candid and positive" talks
US President George W Bush has urged China to respect human rights, including religious freedoms, after initial talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin.
Speaking at a joint news conference, he thanked China for its co-operation in the US-led war on terror - an issue that has helped push tensions between the two countries aside.
The people of China, should be free to choose how they live, how they worship, and how they work
[…]
The meeting came 30 years to the day since Richard Nixon paid the historic first visit by an American president to communist China.
[…]
Religious freedoms
Mr Bush said relations with Beijing were "mature, respectful and important".
But he stressed his belief that people "should be free to choose how they live, how they worship and how they work".
As long as the two sides act in a spirit of mutual respect... we will be able to gradually narrow our differences
[..]
He had earlier highlighted the detention of American followers of the Falun Gong meditation [group] and the imprisoning of Roman Catholic bishops.
The American National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice, said the US had made it clear that China should release imprisoned religious figures.
She said President Bush had urged President Jiang to open talks with the Vatican and the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
[…]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1832000/1832943.s
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