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

The White House

For Immediate Release
April 8, 2008

Press Briefing by Dana Perino

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:37 P.M. EDT

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Q: Two questions. First, since we presume the President is as devoted to human rights as any world leader, why has he failed to join the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, and now the Prime Minister of Canada in their announced refusal to appear at China's Olympic Games?

MS. PERINO: I actually don't think that they have announced that they are going to do that. I think they announced that they are considering it.

Q: It's been reported that they have.

MS. PERINO: That's not exactly true, Les. The President's position on this has been very clear. But the key part of what the President can do as the President of the United States is before, during and after the Olympics, push very hard for increased human rights, press freedoms, and political freedom in China.

Q: A follow-up: In New York, attorney Bill Donohoe, who is the President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said yesterday, "China can't pretend to be religion-friendly while routinely censoring religious liberty. Senator Clinton gets it just right when she urges President Bush to boycott the Opening Ceremony, saying 'Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religion and" --

MS. PERINO: What's your question?

Q: -- "political expression and human rights.'" And my question --

MS. PERINO: Question?

Q: -- does the President believe that both the Catholic League and Senator Clinton are wrong to make such a request?

MS. PERINO: No, they can make any request that they want. But I just told you what the President's position is.

Toby.

Q: Has the President disagreed with anything that General Petraeus has said so far this morning?

MS. PERINO: One, I would never get into the back-and-forth like that. Obviously they've had weekly conversations and they spent a good deal of time together just about 10 days ago, for two hours on a secure video teleconference. And those meetings are private and I wouldn't -- I wouldn't purport to report to you what the President agreed with, or disagreed with. But you'll hear from the President on Thursday as to all the information he's gotten, how he's digested it and how he decides to proceed.

Q: Well, it appears from a lot of General Petraeus's comments so far that he's not advocating a new strategy on Iraq. So when the President speaks on Thursday, I mean, is there going to be any new component to his strategy on Iraq?

MS. PERINO: Why don't we wait and see? I think that you'll -- this is way too early for me to preview it, Toby.

Q: Can I just follow on the Olympics, since you said the President's position has been clear? Is he attending the Opening Ceremonies then?

MS. PERINO: We haven't provided any schedules on the President's trip.

Q: There's doubt about it then, right?

Q: Dana, to follow up on that --

Q: But, I mean, can I just follow on -- does that leave the door open to the President not attending the Opening Ceremonies, but attending some of the games to support the athletes?

MS. PERINO: I wouldn't put it that way, no.

Q: Is the decision to attend the Olympics irreversible, or might it be affected by developments?

MS. PERINO: Any time the President -- the President can always make a change. But the President has been clear that this is a sporting event for the athletes, and that pressuring China before, during and after the Olympics is the best way for us to try to help people across the board in China, not just Tibetans. And we are calling on the Chinese to reach out to the Dalai Lama, or to have -- or to reach out to the Dalai Lama's supporters and people, as they used to have a dialogue and we think that that was quite useful, and we are encouraging them to do that again.

Q: Wouldn't it be a better plan --

MS. PERINO: You had two questions.

Q: -- if he pulled out? Wouldn't that be a good protest?

Q: I just wanted to be specific. Is it being considered to attend the games and skip the Opening Ceremony? Is that under consideration?

MS. PERINO: I would not put it that way, no.

Q: You would not put it that way that it's even being considered?

MS. PERINO: I would not put it that way.

April.

Q: Dana, what's the worst-case scenario to prevent the President from going, as there's a lot of pressure? I mean, you guys saying that you're watching what's going on, you're watching what's happening to the torch -- what is the worst-case scenario that could prevent the President from going just to even watch his athletes perform?

MS. PERINO: I don't think that that's a question that I can answer from the podium. I think speculation on worst-case scenarios are better left to people other than me.

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Q: Dana, two quick questions. One, what message you think President has for the millions of Tibetans across the globe, they are demonstrating, including they were here at the White House last week?

MS. PERINO: The President believes that everyone should be able to express their views, to be able to practice their religion freely, and to be free from persecution.

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END

12:54 P.M. EDT