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White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 4/9/08 (President Bush and China's Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies)
— Wednesday, April 09, 2008 —
 MS. PERINO: Bret., Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps, Q Dana, in an interview with EWTN, the President was asked specifically, "You are now planning on going to the Olympics, to be at the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics. How can you in good conscience go to that ceremony, Mr. President?" He answered, "Because I -- I'm going to the Olympics, for starters, and my plans aren't -- haven't changed." Dana, is he going to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games? MS. PERINO: I would just leave it as the how the President stated it. We haven't announced the President's schedule. Q So you can't say right now whether he's going to the Opening Ceremonies or not? MS. PERINO: I cannot. Q You can only say that he is going to the Olympics? MS. PERINO: Yes, but I'm not trying to signal anything by saying that -- I don't have the President's schedule. It is way too far in advance for us to announce the President's schedule. Q Nancy Pelosi said today that -- about the Opening Ceremonies and the party -- that she hopes the White House realizes there's not a party going on in Tibet, saying that you shouldn't go to the Opening Ceremonies. MS. PERINO: Well, maybe she should check out what the President just said on camera about pressuring China, both publically and privately, before, during and after the Olympics. He just said it, just now in the meeting with the Senior Minister from Singapore, in which they spent a lot of time talking about China and human rights and Tibet. And particularly -- in particular, the President said that China would be in good stead if it would just reopen the dialogue that it had with the Dalai Lama or the Dalai Lama's representatives. Q One last thing. For people who are reading between the lines here that you're not being -- able to be pinned down on this, is it possible that the President could go to the Olympics but not go to the Opening Ceremonies? MS. PERINO: I'll refer you to my first answer. (Laughter.) Q But this is different, Dana. If we asked you this question a couple of weeks ago or a couple of months ago, you would have said he's going to the Opening Ceremonies. Does this suggest -- MS. PERINO: That's not true. Did you ask me that? Did I say that? Q I think it's been pretty clear that he was planning on going. MS. PERINO: No. He said he was going to the Olympics. We have not given out the President's schedule. And even before -- I've not given out any details about the President's schedule when it comes to Olympics. So it's wrong to say that I have changed my story. Q Since this issue has become -- sort of moved to the forefront here, is there any reexamination, recalibration, or rethinking of the dynamics that would have the President at the Opening Ceremonies? MS. PERINO: Not that I'm aware. Q Dana, what sports -- what Olympic sports might the President be most interested in, and might his journey center around those? MS. PERINO: I don't know. He's a sports fan, he likes it all. Q Is it true he's going to the shot-put? (Laughter.) You won't discuss that, will you? MS. PERINO: I don't have any details on his schedule. It's premature for me to -- Peter. China | Dana Perino | Olympics | President Bush | Press Briefing | Tibet | White House Press Corps Labels: China, Dana Perino, Olympics, President Bush, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:39 PM  White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 4/8/08 (China's Olympic Games) — Tuesday, April 08, 2008 —
 MS. PERINO: Les. Q Thank you, Dana. MS. PERINO: Sorry, then I'll come over here. 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. China | Dana Perino | Les | Olympics | Press Briefing | Tibet | White House Press Corps Labels: China, Dana Perino, Les, Olympics, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 11:11 PM White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 2/27/08 (Chinese Imports, Obama & Farrakhan ) — Wednesday, February 27, 2008 — MS. PERINO: Go ahead, Les. Q Thank you, Dana; two questions. WorldNetDaily has reviewed Consumer Product Safety Commission reports confirming that two of every three products recalled for safety concerns during 2007 were Chinese imports. And my question, what are U.S. regulators doing to hold Chinese manufacturers to their promises of higher safety standards? MS. PERINO: Secretary Leavitt led a group by the President and a task force in order to help address these issues. And we know that right now, up on Capitol Hill, they are about to take up a reauthorization of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. So we're working with Congress on that. Q Thank you. When asked last night about the endorsement of him by Louis Farrakhan, Senator Obama replied that Farrakhan's anti-Semitism is, "reprehensible," and that he had not sought Farrakhan's endorsement. And my question: This statement by Senator Obama deserves White House approval, doesn't it? MS. PERINO: I'm not going to comment in any way on the '08 election. Q You're going to avoid this? Won't you commend him? Don't you think he should be commended? MS. PERINO: If you want to ask two questions, you should make sure they're two that I can answer. (Laughter.) China | Dana Perino | Democratic Candidates | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps Labels: China, Dana Perino, Democratic Candidates, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:09 PM White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 10/16/07 (President Bush, the Dalai Lama and China) — Tuesday, October 16, 2007 — MS. PERINO: John. Q Why has the President chosen to attend this event tomorrow? Is it because he attends all of the -- with the Dalai Lama -- all of these congressional award ceremonies, or is he trying to make a statement to China? MS. PERINO: President Bush has attended the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor ceremonies. The most recent one that I can remember was the Tuskegee Airmen event that he attended. I think that was earlier this year. And he told President Hu when we were at APEC in Sydney that he would be attending this one, as well. And he is going to be proud to do so. He believes that the Dalai Lama is a strong spiritual leader, and he will have a private meeting with him today, and then he'll attend tomorrow's Gold Medal ceremony. And, as I told you, he told President Hu that he would and he'll be proud to do so tomorrow. Q Is he concerned about the repercussions? The Chinese Foreign Minister called this a violent intrusion into Chinese domestic politics. MS. PERINO: We understand that the Chinese have very strong feelings about this, and that's one of the reasons that the President brought up with President Hu almost two months ago that he would be actually -- that he would be attending this event. The President wanted President Hu to know about this early on. The President attends that ceremony; it's a special one that we have in American traditions. The United States and the Bush administration has worked hard to have very strong relations with China on a variety of issues -- from trade and to cooperation on many different issues, such as the six-party talks with North Korea. We feel we have a very strong relationship with them, and that will be maintained. Q So if there's a strong strategic relationship with China, I would think that the President would listen to strongly expressed reservations about something the President was doing, with a certain amount of appreciation for that. What's the difference between Turkey saying, we don't want the United States to do something, and China saying, we don't want the government or the President to do something? What's the difference? MS. PERINO: Well, first, I think those two things are different. First and foremost, the President has met with the Dalai Lama multiple times, and this will be his fourth private meeting with the Dalai Lama. The President also attends the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony whenever he possibly can. I think he's attended almost of all them, and if he hasn't, that has been because of travel that he didn't make it. On the Armenian resolution, what the President has done is he has expressed the Americans' grief about what happened in 1915 through a presidential message every year. And the President has made it clear that Turkey currently is playing a very important, vital role in making sure that our troops have the supplies that they need. A lot of our troops -- all the supplies are going through Turkey either through the airspace or -- and both to Iraq and Afghanistan, so there's a strategic national security reason there. On China and on the Dalai Lama, the President has made clear early on with President Hu -- we've been very open about -- that the President was going to be meeting with him. It's not that the President hadn't met him before. Q Why not release the picture? MS. PERINO: There's going to be a picture of the President and the Dalai Lama that you'll have tomorrow. Q What about today? MS. PERINO: They'll be standing together in the Capitol. Q But if it's not that big a deal, and the President's proud to -- MS. PERINO: We understand that there are very strong feelings that the Chinese have, and that they've reacted negatively to the fact the President will be going to this event tomorrow. But the President was clear that he would attend the event, as he had before. And we made a decision not to release a photograph today, but you are -- it's not that you're not going to get a picture of the President and the Dalai Lama, because you'll see them together tomorrow at the Capitol. Q Was it a conscious decision not the release a photo, even though you -- MS. PERINO: We always make a decision whether or not to release a photo. Q But it almost appears like a splitting the difference, that understanding that China is -- MS. PERINO: Well, I don't know if the Chinese would feel that way. I think that they don't want the event to happen at all. So I -- but I think -- it is going to go forward. The President will be there tomorrow. He'll make brief remarks and he'll have his picture taken there, too. Q Is it a gesture to the Chinese to not release a photo, to limit the exposure -- MS. PERINO: I don't know if they would take it that way. It was a decision we made on our own. They did not ask us not to release a photo. Q And what is the basis of that decision, then? It's certainly a story today. MS. PERINO: The United States -- we in no way want to stir the pot and make China feel that we are poking a stick in their eye, to a country that we have a lot of relationships with on a variety of -- I mean, a good relationship with on a variety of issues. And if this is -- this might be one thing that we can do. But I don't have -- I don't believe that that's going to assuage the concerns of the Chinese. Sure, I'll go to Ann, and I'll come back. Q Several years ago the Dalai Lama proposed what he calls the "middle way," not independence for Tibet, but a kind of, what he calls, autonomy, where that area could have its own leaders. Does the United States embrace the Dalai Lama's vision of what a government for Tibet should be? MS. PERINO: As I understand it, the Dalai Lama wants not for -- he's not calling for independence from China. He's asking for the people there to have ability to -- the freedom to practice their religion. And the United States supports him as a great spiritual leader. He should be honored as a spiritual leader. But we are not asking for independence from the country. Q But his idea of autonomy -- and that's the word he uses -- is what the United States would also embrace? MS. PERINO: I don't know his specific language that he uses, but we do not support a separate country from China. Q Dana, what can you tell us about what they're going to talk about, the President and the Dalai Lama? MS. PERINO: Well, those are private meetings, and the President has private meetings with spiritual leaders such as the Pope. We don't always tell you what's on his mind. The President, obviously, will have a good discussion with him. But when he has a private meeting, I don't get into the habit of asking him specifically what's he's going to bring up with somebody. If there's more to say later, I could let you know. Q -- preview of the topics, even -- MS. PERINO: No. Q Do you know where it will be? MS. PERINO: In the Residence. Q Where in the Residence, do we know? MS. PERINO: I don't know. Q You heard what the Chinese Foreign Minister said about violating international relations and wounded feelings with China. The Dalai Lama's Special Envoy says that this meeting sends a message that people have not forgotten about Tibet, and that it is also a message -- a powerful message, according to him, to China, that the Dalai Lama is not going to go away. Does the President believe that this meeting sends that sort of message to China? MS. PERINO: I think that what the President would believe is that people are going to look at this meeting in several different ways, and it's almost taking on a life of its own. The President has met with the Dalai Lama before. He is a great spiritual leader. The President wants to meet with him. The President believes that people all over the world should be able to express their religion and practice their religion in freedom. And that's why the President wants to meet with him. He believes he should be honored as a great spiritual leader. And you mentioned the Foreign Minister. The President, just within the recent weeks, had a good meeting with him, as well, here at the White House -- the Chinese Foreign Minister. And we believe that we'll get through this event tomorrow that the President is going to attend, and that we'll be able to continue and maintain to have really good relationships with China from here on out. Q If I could just follow, you can judge by the number of questions here in this briefing that it is -- MS. PERINO: -- lot of hot air tonight. Q -- the topic of the day. So why not release this picture today? It just seems like it's happening today -- MS. PERINO: I understand and I'll take it back up, if I can, but I believe that there will not be a photo today. You'll get one tomorrow. Q Dana, you talked earlier about not releasing the picture as something you could do, in essence not to stir the pot. What about at tomorrow's ceremony? Will the President hand the medal and present the medal to the Dalai Lama? Will he -- is he keeping his remarks purposely short? What are other gestures -- MS. PERINO: I think his remarks are on par with the length of what he's given before -- I believe. They're always brief remarks because it's a long ceremony. And I don't know who -- I don't know what the protocol is for who provides the medal. It's the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, so I don't know what the President's role is. Q But is the White House thinking carefully about the symbolism of those gestures and -- MS. PERINO: We're aware of it, sure. It's on our collective radar screen. We understand that there are the concerns and -- that the Chinese have expressed. But we are going to go forward with the event tomorrow. We're not going to change that. But we will not release the photo today. But you all know that the meeting is happening anyway, and you'll have a picture of him with the Dalai Lama tomorrow. Q Will you let us know by the end of today what the protocol will be tomorrow, and if the President will be presenting the medal? MS. PERINO: Yes, sure. Q And also, what is he likely to say in his remarks tomorrow? MS. PERINO: Well, I think that he will honor the Dalai Lama as a great spiritual leader. And when I can provide you more -- those remarks are still being worked on, too, and unless they've been released in between the time that I was in my office and came down here, they're still not final. Let me go back to April. Q Dana, in the last couple of months this White House has said there has been an interesting relationship with China, especially after all the trade issues. And now you're saying it's a good relationship. How -- could you explain why you have a good relationship with China, as some would see this adding fuel to the fire of recent controversies with the United States and China? MS. PERINO: Well, I just think we have -- it's a relationship where we have a lot of different issues that we work together on, including energy issues. China was here two weeks ago when the President hosted the major economies meeting, when we talked about how to curtail global warming through reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The President told President Hu that he looks forward to attending the Olympics next year. We've also talked to China --the reason he met with Foreign Minister Wang was to talk to China about our concerns regarding Burma. We have an issue with the Product Import Safety Commission that Secretary Leavitt is looking into. We also have China as a great -- as a large trading partner, and we have many different issues going back and forth and we work cooperatively with them. Secretary Paulson has the Economic Strategic Initiative that he has implemented over at the Treasury Department. And so it's a complex relationship that has many different facets. And we're working with them, as I mentioned before, on the North Korean six-party talks. They're very important to us, and to that -- and to the entire region in making sure that North Korea becomes a nuclear-free peninsula. Q But "complex" still equates to a good relationship? MS. PERINO: I think you can have a complex and a good relationship, like ours. Helen. Q It's not on the Dalai, but anyone else want to ask about -- MS. PERINO: Well, I'll come right back to you, Helen. In the back. Q Thanks, Dana. Is China interfering in our domestic politics by complaining so strongly about tomorrow's Congressional Gold Medal ceremony? MS. PERINO: Look, I think that if people want to express their views, the President welcomes every -- everyone should have the opportunity to express their views. And I think that we're not going to try to squelch that at all, no. Goyal. Q Dana, thank you. MS. PERINO: Is this one on the Dalai Lama? Q Yes, ma'am. As far as this -- the Dalai Lama and particular issue is concerned, this has been going for a long time, and the people of Tibet have been waiting and asking President Bush every year whenever he was meeting with him in the White House that they see a hope of light for them. And now, over quarter million Tibetans in India are asking on President Bush again today that he should stand for the independence or freedom of Tibet just like anywhere else in the world. MS. PERINO: As I said, the President -- Q And this will be the highest -- this will be the highest award ever the U.S. can give to -- civilian award to anybody, and they are very delighted and very thankful to the President. But, at the same time, they're asking for more. MS. PERINO: Well, I understand that the President looks forward to the meeting he's having with him today, and then he'll make brief remarks tomorrow, and you can maybe get those out in your newspaper. China | Congressional Gold Medal of Honor | Dalai Lama | Dana Perino | President Bush Labels: China, Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, Dalai Lama, Dana Perino, President Bush, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:12 PM White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 10/11/07 (President Bush Attending Dalai Lama's Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony) — Thursday, October 11, 2007 — MS. PERINO: Matt. Q Dana, China has complained bitterly about the plans for the Dalai Lama to receive the Congressional Gold Medal next week and, by extension, the President's plan to attend that ceremony. Can you respond to that? And is there any indication the President will meet face to face with the Dalai Lama? MS. PERINO: Well, I wouldn't rule that out, but I have nothing to announce for you in terms of a meeting with the Dalai Lama. If you'll recall, when we were in Australia at the APEC meeting, the President told President Hu that he would be attending the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, and the President and Mrs. Bush look forward to attending it. The President will make brief remarks, and he will reiterate our view that the Dalai Lama is a great spiritual leader. He leads a movement that is aimed not only for independence from China but for the rights of the Tibetan people.* And the President wants -- is going to -- let me see, I guess I can announce -- I just had it here -- I knew that there was a meeting in the works but I didn't know it had been confirmed. He will meet with the President on October 16th, the day before. Q At the White House? MS. PERINO: At the White House. Q Can I follow up on that? MS. PERINO: Sure. Q The President is concerned about relations with Turkey, and has opposed a resolution which is non-binding in one House of Congress, right, the genocide -- why is he not afraid of relations with China being damaged by actually meeting with the Dalai Lama in public for the first time ever on Wednesday? MS. PERINO: Well, the President has met with the Dalai Lama many times; we've released photographs of that so that we'd have a -- there is a public record of the President meeting with the Dalai Lama. He -- the President had a good conversation with President Hu when we were in Australia and told him that we would be welcoming the Dalai Lama to the United States, that the President would be going to the Capitol, as he does every year, for the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony. Q So you're saying it's no big deal that the President will actually be at a public event for the first time with the Dalai Lama? MS. PERINO: I think that the President -- first and foremost, he told President Hu that, back the first week of September of this year. This is not -- this should not come as news to the Chinese that the President is going to be attending. And this is a spiritual leader who is fighting for freedom and democracy, which the President is supporting as well. And what you're talking about yesterday is the President referring to something that had happened in 1915 with the Ottoman Empire, and the House of Representatives having many tasks in front of it, including passing appropriations bills, even appointing in the House side conferees to talk about how we're going to spend the American taxpayers' money. They could work on closing the -- permanently closing the intelligence gap by passing the FISA legislation. There's a lot of things that the House could be doing and the Senate could be doing, rather than passing resolutions, talking about historical actions in 1915. So he will go next week -- Q Is it not a big -- so you're saying that the Wednesday public ceremony is not a big deal? MS. PERINO: Well, we would hope that the Chinese leader would get to know the Dalai Lama as the President sees him, as a spiritual leader and someone who wants peace. And that's what the President will -- that's what the President urges in meetings. He understands that the Chinese have concerns about this. They were expressed to the President as well in Australia. He's well aware that there are different feelings about this. He believes that as a leader and as the President of the United States, and someone who always attends a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, that he is going to go and he will proudly be there to witness the event. China | Congressional Gold Medal of Honor | Dalai Lama | Dana Perino Labels: China, Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, Dalai Lama, Dana Perino, President Bush, Press Briefing, Tibet, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:00 PM
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