President Bush’s State of the Union made no mention of China’s anti-satellite test (prepared text).
In his only mention of China in the address, Bush recognized China for its efforts to reign in North Korea:
Together with our partners in China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, we are pursuing intensive diplomacy to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. And we will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba, Belarus, and Burma — and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur.
Chinese leaders appreciate this sort of recognition, and putting China first in line is a nice touch. Of course, the very next sentence makes reference to the “cause of freedom” in, among other places, Burma — the cause of more diplomatic wrangling with China last week.
At least it was a subtle juxtaposition.
