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Friday, November 21, 2008, 12.12 PM

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FRANK CHING: Bush's personal bond with China

Frank Ching
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But there is one bright spot: China. Despite a rough start at the beginning of his presidency when there was a crisis triggered off by a mid-air collision between a Chinese fighter jet and an American reconnaissance plane, Bush has by and large enjoyed a good relationship with the Chinese leadership.

This was reflected in the telephone conversation on Monday between the two leaders, when Bush briefed his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on the financial upheavals in the United States and Hu praised the "good momentum of the development of Sino-US ties".

To be sure, there were repeated differences over political freedom, religious rights, Tibet and other issues, but Beijing continues to view Bush favourably. Beijing also has a soft spot in its heart for his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, who was president 1989-1993.

The junior Bush campaigned in 2000 on the premise that the Clinton administration was wrong to designate China as a strategic partner. He said China was a strategic competitor, not a partner. And he began office with the idea that China would replace the Soviet Union as America's main antagonist.

But his stance changed dramatically after the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, when he realised that America already had enemies at its gates and that China could be a partner in the campaign against terrorists.

And while he declared at the end of his first 100 days in office that that he would do "whatever it took" to help Taiwan defend itself, he soon made clear his distaste for the Taiwanese leader, Chen Shui-bian, by reprimanding him in public while the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, stood next to him.

To Beijing, Bush has been a true friend, and, more than that, a known quantity. True, Bush frequently did things that Beijing did not like, including receiving the Dalai Lama three times, and frequently lecturing the Chinese government on freedom and democracy.

But he was also someone Beijing could count on. Earlier this year, when much of the world was calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in the wake of a crackdown after a violent protest in Tibet, the US leader never wavered in his commitment to attend the Games, an attitude much appreciated by Chinese leaders.

In part for domestic political reasons, Bush before each trip to China would make a public gesture that was critical of China.

Thus, in 2005, the day before he left for an Asian trip that included Beijing, he received the Dalai Lama and accepted a white scarf from him. Then, in Japan, he went out of his way to praise Taiwan for "embracing freedom at all levels" and urged China to emulate the island that it considers to be a breakaway province.

The Chinese foreign ministry, as was to be expected, issued a rebuttal, but Bush was still warmly welcomed in Beijing.

Last month, the president made what was probably his last official visit to Beijing, and again he gave a speech critical of China while travelling in Asia, this time in Thailand.

Significantly, at the end of this visit, China's official newspaper the People's Daily published an evaluation of China by the senior Bush, who was also in Beijing as honorary head of the American Olympics delegation.

Bush senior said that, in his view, China's economic growth since the 1970s, when he was unofficial ambassador, had improved the living conditions of the Chinese people as well as advanced human rights and individual freedoms; moreover, Chinese leaders were now more open and approachable, and, lastly, the strategic and economic interests of China and the US were growing ever closer.

Turning to the president, the People's Daily said that of course Bush did not completely agree with Chinese political actions, pointing out that he had criticised China while in Bangkok and "China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Bush's words were unacceptable interference in China's internal affairs".

But, it concluded: "It is very important for national leaders to build good personal friendships with each other, although one cannot equate personal friendships with supporting all policies made by other leaders." To China, it is clear, Bush is a friend.