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Style over substance

On the first day of his "official visit," Chinese President Hu Jintao offers no deals, just general promises.

By Wire services
Published April 21, 2006

WASHINGTON - President Bush pressed China's visiting President Hu Jintao on Thursday to open up markets, expand freedom and do more to curb nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea but came away with no specific agreements in a summit emphasizing symbolism over breakthroughs.

Hosting the first White House visit of a Chinese president in nine years, Bush welcomed Hu with pageantry, marching bands and a 21-gun salute in a South Lawn ceremony, then escorted him inside for polite talks on a range of long-standing issues. In return, Hu offered vague assurances that he will address U.S. economic concerns while resisting tougher action on Iran and North Korea.

Both leaders had a moment of discomfort when a woman given credentials by a newspaper affiliated with Falun Gong, a religious group banned in China, called out her protest from the press camera platform.

"President Bush, stop him from killing!" shouted the woman, identified by her newspaper as Wang Wenyi, a pathologist and Falun Gong practitioner from New York.

White House officials stressed the growing sophistication of U.S.-Chinese relations and the increased personal familiarity between Bush and Hu after five meetings in less than a year as summit achievements.

The watchwords of the day were "candor" and "discussion" - not "agreement" and "announcement."

On issue after issue during the visit, Bush pressed Hu but came up without any new concrete promises.

The United States wants a faster revaluation of China's tightly controlled currency, which is artificially low so that China's goods are cheaper and U.S. products have a harder time competing with them. A major irritant in the relationship, it is considered the key to reducing the $202-billion U.S. trade deficit with China.

Hu offered general promises. "We have taken measures and we will continue to take steps to properly resolve the issue," he said.

Bush put the best face on it, saying, "He recognizes that a trade deficit with the United States, as substantial as it is, is unsustainable."

Still, the day's rhetoric was likely to do little to cool calls in Congress for punitive tariffs on Chinese products.

"Good words need to be followed by concrete action," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., the author of sanctions legislation. "If not, that'll only increase the frustration in Congress that China's not living up to its commitments."

On Iran, Hu stressed that the standoff over Iran' nuclear program should be resolved "through diplomatic negotiation." Bush had hoped to bring China closer to the U.S. and European view that Tehran should face sanctions if it does not comply with demands that it halt uranium enrichment.

The president also raised human rights concerns with Hu, including a list of specific people previously presented to Hu in September and the case of a North Korean defector who was returned by China. Bush got little response.

The two leaders did agree to take questions from the media, and Dennis Wilder, acting senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council staff, noted with some surprise that Hu, when asked about the pace of democratic reform in China, said, "If there is no democracy, there will be no modernization."

On North Korea, Bush asked Hu to use his country's "considerable influence" with Pyongyang to draw it back to six-nation talks aimed at halting its nuclear weapons program. Hu expressed his frustration with North Korea and committed to "doing his utmost" to help, Wilder said.

Ninety seconds into Hu's speech on the South Lawn, the woman started shrieking "President Hu, your days are numbered!" and "President Bush, stop him from killing!"

Bush and Hu looked up, stunned. It took a full three minutes for the Secret Service to silence her. The rattled Chinese premier haltingly attempted to continue his speech and television coverage went to split screen.

"You're okay," Bush gently reassured Hu.

Authorities in China blocked CNN's live broadcast of the White House arrival ceremony for Hu when the woman began berating him in Chinese and English.

The protocol-obsessed Chinese leader suffered a day full of indignities - some intentional, others just careless. The visit began with a slight when the official announcer said the band would play the "national anthem of the Republic of China" - the official name of Taiwan. It continued when Vice President Dick Cheney donned sunglasses for the ceremony, and again when Hu, attempting to leave the stage via the wrong staircase, was yanked back by his jacket. Hu looked down at his sleeve to see the president of the United States tugging at it.

Then there were the intentional slights. China wanted a formal state visit such as Jiang got, but the administration refused, calling it an "official" visit instead. Bush acquiesced to the 21-gun salute but insisted on a luncheon instead of a formal dinner, in the East Room instead of the State Dining Room. Even the visiting country's flags were missing from the lampposts near the White House.

[Last modified April 21, 2006, 01:43:55]