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CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL
America Strikes Back: APEC Conference Has Given Mr. Bush Chance to Solidify Support for U.S.-Led Operation
Aired October 19, 2001 - 05:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRYA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a check of the latest developments. A top U.S. official tells CNN a very limited number of U.S. troops have been deployed in southern Afghanistan in recent days. Their presence, says the official, is consistent with the changing nature of the operation.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: China has pledged to gather intelligence and do what it can to choke off the flow of money to terrorists. President Bush thanked China for its support in the terror war after meeting Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Shanghai today.
PHILLIPS: Before September 11, President Bush's primary goal at this week's APEC summit would have been an attempt to improve trade. But with the war on terror well under way, the 21 nation conference in Shanghai has given Mr. Bush the chance to solidify support for the U.S.-led operation.
CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel is in Shanghai with the latest on the president's efforts -- and, Andrea, it looks pretty good between the president of China and President Bush with regard to this fight against terrorism.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it does, Kyra. It was their first face to face meeting. It was supposed to go about an hour. It went twice as long, both men describing it as a very good first meeting, a much anticipated one. But for China it was a bit of a disappointment because they had wanted to focus the majority of this conference on the economy, on the need to revitalize the sluggish economy in the Asia-Pacific region. They also wanted to showcase Shanghai, which is really one of the biggest and one of the most modern cities in China.
But as has been the case already since the conference began earlier in the week, it was overshadowed by terrorism, President Bush himself mentioning the word terrorism at least half a dozen times.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This meeting is important because of the campaign against terror, because of the ties between two great nations, because of the opportunity and hope that trade provides for both our people. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, China did not give unqualified support to this fight against terrorism, this campaign against terrorism. In fact, President Jiang made very clear that these attacks in Afghanistan need to be targeted, need to avoid civilian casualties, sounding a little more like the leader of Pakistan than the sort of unconditional support the U.S. would have preferred to hear. President Jiang in his comments following their meeting made very clear, however, he wants to focus on the positive in the U.S.-China relationship.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN, CHINA: Primarily that we are opposed to terrorism of all forms and what we have done in the past has shown these efforts of ours to repeal it. We hope that anti-terrorism efforts can have clearly defined targets. The efforts should hit accurately, not avoid innocent casualties. For this war and the role of the modern nations it is not
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, following his meeting with China's president, President Bush went into another meeting with an Asian leader, the South Korean President Kim Dae Jung. This isn't their first meeting, but it was an important one, as well, for the continuing campaign to build a coalition against terrorism. He did hear, President Bush did hear from President Kim unconditional support for that. They also mentioned North Korea, as you might imagine, the need to get talks between the South and the North moving ahead, as well as missile talks between the U.S. and North Korea, Kyra.
But as far as today went, the sun is setting here in Shanghai. President Bush is finished for the day, at least his work is finished. But looking forward now to another high profile meeting with President Putin, the Russian president, later in the week -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel live from Shanghai, thanks so much.
HARRIS: Well, the peaceful sentiments being expressed there in Shanghai are not being echoed in Indonesia, the world's largest or most populous Muslim nation. We understand there are some huge anti- U.S. protests under way there right now and we'll get a live update coming up after the break. Don't go away.
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