U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)

The White House

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 18, 2008

President Bush Addresses the American Enterprise Institute

Renaissance Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.

10:44 A.M. EST

MR. DeMUTH: Mr. President, what's on your mind this morning?

THE PRESIDENT: First, thanking you for being the leader that you've been, and thanking AEI for generating good thought. People in the public arena need to have support for philosophy -- and that's what you provide, so I appreciate all your hard work.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

I've been a firm believer in markets. That may sound contradictory to some of the policies that I have been making recently, which I'd be glad to discuss with you -- (laughter.) But I strongly believe in the principle that markets really do represent a free society. I mean, after all, people produce goods and services based upon the demand of the individual.

I can remember going to China when my dad was the envoy there and everybody had the same clothes on -- it was like, there was no demand -- and then having gone back at the Olympics and saw a society in which the marketplace is beginning to function. It's just a vastly different society. And I happen to believe it's a society that - society is based upon the marketplace will be not only more free, but more hopeful.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

END

11:52 A.M. EST