Chinese Say Bush 'Rudely Interfered'
Foreign Ministry Criticizes Meeting With 5 Dissidents

By Jill Drew
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, August 1, 2008

BEIJING, July 31 -- China on Thursday issued a strong rebuke of President Bush for meeting with five Chinese dissidents in the White House this week, saying he had "rudely interfered" with China's internal affairs and sent a "seriously wrong" message to others who criticize the country.

The comments by Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao were unusually pointed. The Chinese have often commended Bush for resisting activists' calls to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on Aug. 8 out of concerns over human rights abuses. He also sat Wednesday for a one-on-one interview with China's state-controlled television, without requiring preconditions that would limit editing of his remarks.

"I respect the Chinese people," Bush said in the segment, shown on an English-language news program on CCTV on Thursday night. "I'm coming to China as the president and as a friend."

Bush made no mention in the broadcast of U.S. concerns about human rights in China. He said he is coming to the Olympics because "I know it's best for the U.S.-China relationship that I go."

The Tuesday meeting with dissidents, in which the White House said Bush promised to "carry the message of freedom" to the Summer Olympics, crossed a line the Chinese would not ignore.

"By arranging such a meeting between its leader and these people and making irresponsible remarks on China's human rights and religious situation, the U.S. side has rudely interfered in China's internal affairs and sent a seriously wrong message to the anti-China hostile forces," Liu said, according to the state-controlled New China News Agency.

The issue of human rights is a tense one between the United States and China, but experts did not expect this incident to harm relations between the two countries.

"The Chinese government very much appreciates President Bush's support for the Beijing Olympics, but they cannot abandon the Chinese position on other matters," said Shi Yinhong, a professor at the Center for American Studies at People's University in Beijing. "The matter of dissidents is quite sensitive, and the Foreign Ministry always makes strong protestations when dealing with this kind of affair."

Liu had even stronger language for the U.S. House of Representatives, which Wednesday adopted a resolution by 419 to 1 calling on Beijing to stop abusing citizens' rights, to open meaningful negotiations with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet, and to end its support of governments in Sudan and Burma. It called on Beijing to create "an atmosphere that honors the Olympic traditions of freedom and openness."

Liu lashed out at what he called the "odious conduct" of anti-China lawmakers. "The resolution exposed the malicious intention of a handful of anti-China lawmakers to politicize, interrupt and sabotage the Games," he said.

Bush met with five prominent Chinese dissidents in the White House residence: Harry Wu, a critic of Chinese prisons; Wei Jinsheng, a democracy activist; Sasha Gong, a writer; Bob Fu of the China Aid Association; and Rebiya Kadeer, who advocates for more protection of ethnic Uighur minority rights in western China's Xinjiang region.

That same day, Stephen J. Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, met at the White House with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Bush joined the two and told Yang that hosting the Olympics "presents the Chinese with an opportunity to demonstrate compassion on human rights and freedom," a White House statement said.

The Chinese on Wednesday issued their own statement about the meeting, saying Yang told Bush that "China would like to continue to exchange its views with the United States on basis of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's domestic affairs."

While in Beijing, Bush is expected to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other officials, as well as attend several days of Olympic competition.

Researcher Liu Songjie contributed to this report.