US President George W. Bush said on Thursday China's rapid
economic growth has provided a "good opportunity" for the United
States as well as other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
"Is China an issue for the world? Absolutely. But I don't view
it as a negative issue, I view it as an opportunity to work with
one of the really significantly growing economies in the world,"
Bush said during a round-table interview with Asian media on the
eve of his visit to Australia next week.
"First, I view that a growing middle class in China is good for
US exporters; it provides opportunity," said the US president, who
will attend the 15th economic leaders' informal meeting of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, scheduled to be
held in Sydney on Sept. 8-9.
"By the way, it's not only good for US exports, it's good for
Australian exporters, and it's good for Japanese exporters, and
it's good for Singaporean, Malaysian -- anybody who is making a
product somebody wants, it's just a good opportunity," he
added.
On US-China relations, Bush stressed that it is important for
the two countries to have a strategic relationship that allows for
engagement and helps both to deal with issues such as trade
deficits.
The president also dismissed the notion that Washington has been
distracted from engagement in Asia because of the war on terror and
issues like Iraq.
He said relations between the United States and the Asia-Pacific
region have never been better. "This just doesn't happen without
work," he said.
As to the upcoming APEC meeting, Bush said he was looking
forward to discussing trade with other leaders of APEC
economies.
He said his first priority for trade at the meeting will be on
the Doha round of talks and hoped leaders at the APEC meeting will
express their desire to see the Doha round succeed.
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2007)
