While news reports all day and tonight will focuse on the heckler, what our president said with the Chinese president by his side was no small thing. Here, in part:
As the relationship between our two nations grows and matures, we can be candid about our disagreements. I’ll continue to discuss with President Hu the importance of respecting human rights and freedoms of the Chinese people. China has become successful because the Chinese people are experience the freedom to buy, and to sell, and to produce — and China can grow even more successful by allowing the Chinese people the freedom to assemble, to speak freely, and to worship.
The United States will also be candid about our policy toward Taiwan. The United States maintains our one China policy based on the three communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act. We oppose unilateral changes in the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by either side, and we urge all parties to avoid confrontational or provocative acts. And we believe the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully.
More here.
Read Jay Nordlinger from late march on Falun Gong organ–a chilling piece–here. Read Chris Smith on his hearing yesterday here
Read Peter Brookes on some of China’s friends here. And some of the advice Arthur Waldron and more had for the president going into today here.