U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Beijing on Feb. 21-22 signals clearly that Sino-U.S. relations are back on track toward a constructive, cooperative relationship. Bush met Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his successor, Vice President Hu Jintao. Bush re-assured China on the Taiwan issue. He said he wanted Jiang to convey a message of dialogue to North Korea. He also said the United States would consult with China about Iraq.
Notwithstanding media reports to the contrary, the Bush-Jiang exchange -- their second in five months -- opens the door to a much improved and more predictable relationship between the two most important countries in the Asia Pacific region. This is a significant achievement, with positive implications for Taiwan, the global war on terrorism, nonproliferation, a renewal of dialogue in the Korean Peninsula and for security and stability in South Asia and the Asia Pacific region.
Bush was commendably well-briefed on what to say and how to say it while in China. His speech at Qinghua University was well-received. After the spy-plane incident off Hainan island in April last year, many columnists forecast a coming war between the U.S., the world's only superpower, and China, a rising giant.
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