Bush: "Really Hard To Tell" If China Has Improved Civil Rights

Washington Post:

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Aug. 4 -- Three days before he is set to arrive in Beijing for the Olympics, President Bush offered a mixed assessment of China's role in the world, praising its efforts to curb the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran, expressing disappointment about its recent move to help scuttle global trade talks, and saying that it is "really hard to tell" whether human rights in China have improved over the past eight years.

Bush said that he speaks candidly with Chinese President Hu Jintao about human rights, particularly religious freedom, and that he has shared his religious beliefs with Hu and Hu's predecessor, Jiang Zemin, urging them to lift restrictions on underground churches.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[dbj1176]

First off, as far as the off-topic comments re the "brutal occupation of Tibet," just by using such language you show your ignorance, Britian and the U.S. treated Tibet as a Chinese province since the waning days of the Qing dynasty, and the Nationalist government of Taiwan claims Tibet (as well as outer mongolia) as Chinese territory. The Chinese have claimed and controlled Tibet long before the communists "invaded" in 1951. The fact is Tibet and China have a long and complicated history which hardly anyone in a "Free Tibet" t-shirt understands.

As far asdumbya's comments: It is hard for people outside the coutry to tell how human rights issues affect people on a daily basis and to what extent the situation has improved or deteriorated.

As a matter of fact, a lot of it depends on the local officials, os in some proviinces or cities it has improved in some it has deteriorated.

Of course few americans would realized how nuanced the situation is as they see China as some cartoonishly evil menace. The fact is the cetral government realizes there are problems, but things change slowly. Sometimes for the sake of stability, sometimes because--esecially in the western provinces--orders are diluted, changed or ignored by the time they get to local officials.

The bottom line is for once the shrub was more diplomatic and perceptive than the verage american.

[GeoLee]

Let's see:::You are allowed one child. That pretty much says it all...kinda limits human rights from conception which is pretty much all important for this Bush administration on American human rights to have as many or as few children as you want as long as no artificial birth control or abortions are involved. TOTAL contradition to his philosophy related to human rights here.

You don't have free access on the internet.

All foreigners and citizens phone calls and internet use is subject to spying...oh wait, that is already HERE, isn't it...can't use that as an example any more.

Sounds like his focus on religion is the only thing of interest to him. Wish he actually practiced what he says he believes.


.

[LarBear]

GeoLee...
By 2025, China will have 221 cities with more than 1 million people, compared with 35 in Europe today. China will need to build between 20,000 and 50,000 new skyscrapers -- the equivalent of up to 10 New York Cities.
Data released earlier this year said that China's internet users totaled 210 million at the end of 2007. US web analyst Nielsen/NetRatings put the American total at 216 million for same period.
"Based on these sources and assumption that these markets have continued to grow in 2008 to date at same rates that they grew in 2007, we can conclude that China has by now comfortably surpassed the United States as the world's largest internet population," said BDA analyst Bin Liu.
(Population) Chongqing 27.97 million, Beijing 15.36 million, Shanghai 13.6 million, Guangzhou 9.49 million, Shenzhen 8.27 million ( 2005 population statistics )
The story also mentions how Chongqing is called the "largest city in the world", and how that's slightly misleading. Chongqing does apparently cover 82,000 square kilometers (about the size of Austria, the article tells us), and comprises 32 million people (2008 up 4 M in 3 yrs), making it equal to, or slightly larger than, greater Tokyo. But apparently the urban population is much smaller than Beijing, or Shanghai, even though it may pass those cities within the next 15 years. 70% of Chongqing's current population is rural.

Your simple solution is???

[truthynesslover]

Im sure the atheletes will love the nuance of the cloud of pollution covering the city.Have they learned nothing from us and our past mistakes or do they just concider their population expendable.Or do they have a theres more where that came from attitude?

[BradPittsburgh]

How many americans had to cancel their vacation because of high gas prices and yet nan cy is taking a five week vacation to get botoxed instead of working on the energy crisis, the voters will punish the elitist liberals.

[williamg]

One of Brad's prior posts:

"Mitt did a swell job today. I believe people who are part of organized religion deserve to enjoy the freedoms this country has to offer. I also believe those who are not part of organized religion should not be given the opportunity to enjoy our freedoms. That is what I believe the founding fathers intended as well." - posted Dec 06, 2007 at 20:30:16

[thebanana]

Brad's a troll? I'm reeling....

[WLA]

You are a mo ron. You just keep blathering nonsense. First of all, the House is on the planned recess that is the same every year, you dolt. Secondly, how is having a vote about drilling going to change anything in the next 5 weeks?

And furthermore, the "elitis" talk is just crap. I know it's the right wing R0ve code for "uppity," but even if it weren't, it holds no merit because McRich happens to be FAR more well off than the O'bamas, so it's basically complete BULLSH&T. And if you are talking about intellectual elitism, then I say GOOD. It's about dam-n time we get a POTUS with a brain.

Get your head out of your azz and turn off Hannity for a minute.

[WLA]

So a vote on drilling during the House's planned recess would have an immediate effect on energy prices? I'd like to see that proof.

[fetchezlavache]

Increased offshore drilling? It will take decades for it to have any real effect on prices, and anyway we don't have the refinery capacity to handle it.

[blueshield]

As I'm sure you know, since he was elected in 1982 mac has done squat about this nation's energy, except consistently vote AGAINST plans that would have reduced American dependence on foreign oil. He voted to OPPOSE offshore drilling, remember?

And as a Senator in the 109th Congress, he and his fellow Republicans voted to take TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE DAYS VACATION in a single year, while America was heading full speed into this "energy crises".

His weepy statements about those nasty powerful Dems keeping him from doing something to help the problem, after 26 years of being AWOL, is pure mac bs.

[WLA]

If you mean intellectual eletism, then yes, it's about effing time we get a President with a brain. Underachievers s u c k as clearly evidenced by duh bya. No more underachievers!

If that's not what you mean, and you are just parroting the r0ve code word for "uppity" then you can go eff yourself.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

1936 Berlin Olympics all over again.

[steamboat]

The NBA superstars that make up the US basketball team struggled v. Australia. Only won 87-76. And Aussies didn't play two of their better players. That was last exhibition game for US.

[ramal]

Bush cares no more about the civil rights in China than he does about them in in his own country. Sad and pathetic are the only two words that come to mind.

[jmbrooks2]

I can understand Bush making this statement. I think that he might also make the statement that "its really hard to tell...if my shoes are tied"

[WFV]

'Really hard to tell'? Really?

Does he not have all kinds of access to all kinds of information?

Very, very weak answer. Don't want to anger the creditors, does he?

[Marmann]

Of course, it's hard to tell. One needs to know what "human rights" looks like in the first place in order to identify them. Bush probably feels right at home.

[LarsGruber]

is this what mavericks do? Follow the crowd?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080805/pl_politico/12308

[ZHarris]

The Amer icans have landed!!

Or is it an army of Lo ne Ra ngers?

[Kalima]

http://sinatrasonglyrics.com/getsong.php?songid=859

So slow, we will never witness a change, unless we 20 or 30 something. Are we?

[only1Demvoter]

Kalima : No, darn it !

( Please... I resemble the first half of that remark ! )

You think McFlightsuit meant ' All The Way ' ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H9GXRNLiwo


-ralph

[GhostofBillHicks]

I can't wait to not watch(or care) about the Olympics

[ZHarris]

Ah, the Olympics... Or that time every 4 years when you realize just how many cable channels are owned by Gen eral El ectric...

[stepintothelight]

Every two years now you forgot. Don't feel bad though ... It's not worth the energy. If only we could make it every ten years. Now that would be interesting. I remeber when I use to care!!!

[steamboat]

NBC has the rights to these games.

[jmbrooks2]

I know, the anticipation is just killing me!

[Lilly06]

Whether left or right, the American media's disdain for the Chinese government is bull as far as I'm concerned.

A country that has Guantanamo and the Patriot Act cannot be talking about any other country's human rights.

America is the only country where congress have to vote for the right of blacks to vote. Lets not forget state level bits of hypocrisy and miscarriages of justice like the Jena 6.

Look at America's backyard before we go poking into China's.

China is a developing country, in developing economies so early in their life span, the problem of human rights and even the smog in the air are bound to be issues that the Chinese government must confront. What is America's excuse?

[TrueIndependent]

Your post is absolute nonsense. If you don't like it here and think America is that bad, get the F out. We're better off without you.

[ZHarris]

America: Love it or fix it!

[jmbrooks2]

Geez, what a "Truly Independent" thing to say...

Why force Hume out, why not just set up a gulag or concentration camp to erase all dissenters!

Truly Independent? Give me a break

[only1Demvoter]

TI : Great... Another ' America, love ot or leave it ' 'swipe.

Just what we need in the eleventh hour !


-ralph

[letsgetsmart]

Well, they seem to have been developing for the last 6,000 years and the US is two hundred plus. The young kid on the block is way ahead in just about any area you want to discuss. Like so many others, I am not happy about the acts of our current government. How many people live there? That population just sprang up over night? It isn't our fault that they have been isolationists for most of their history.

[steamboat]

But being 2008 Blacks DO vote......Hey, China has any secret-ballot multi-party elections lately? Sounds like NO Chinese vote. And how about the Mongolian minorities, theManchurians, the Tibetians, etc. Do they get to vote?

[Kalima]

GN, all you sweet souls! GN!. Gute Nacht and Oyasumi nasai!

[WLA]

Take care, Kalima.

[only1Demvoter]

Kalima : You goin' kippy - bye ?

G' Night... Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.


-ralph

[williamg]

"I don't know if you know this. J.ohn Mc.Cain is looking for someone for vice president who has more economic expertise than he does. So congratulations to all of you, you’re on the short list,"

- J ohn K erry.

[WLA]

Heh. I'm gonna have to turn him down.

[springsm]

Hey Wills, that is a veiled (sorta) very clever comment.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Great quote I wish he could have campaigned like this.

[Jamchinadian]

Why do the media bother to interview this guy? And why do they then record his lame response without comment? For him to say that is akin to standing in the pouring rain and saying "it's really hard to tell if it's raining"!

He is an idiot, no doubt, but the fawning reporters are his willing enablers.