THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam)
___________________________________________________________________________
______For Immediate Release November 16, 2000
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT CLINTON
IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
WITH PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN OF CHINA
Orchid Garden Hotel
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
5:53 P.M. (L)
Q President Clinton, do you feel the chaos in Florida makes it
difficult for the U.S. to criticize other countries' elections?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, they're having their -- let's wait
and see how it's resolved here. I think that there will be a lot of
pressure to improve the form and ballots and the methods in voting and have
more clear standards around the country. But I think as long as this thing
is resolved in a way that people perceive as fair and having counted
everybody's vote who lawfully went to the polls to vote, I think that it
shouldn't be surprising if over 100 million people vote and the result is
close, it takes a while to resolve. It depends on whether the people
perceive it's fair when it's over.
Q Mr. President, what message do you have for your successor on
U.S.-China relations?
THE PRESIDENT: That I believe we have made some real progress in
developing a mature, honest and open relationship that is basically quite
positive. And I'm very pleased that the Congress approved the permanent
normal trading relations and that China's going into the World Trade
Organization. I'm very pleased that the work we've done together on
nonproliferation and a host of other items and I think we should continue
to build on this relationship. I think it's very important for the United
States. And I hope that we'll continue to be active across a whole broad
range of issues, including through this organization, to build a common
economic future. That would be my message.
You probably want to know more about it than my successor will.
END 5:55 P.M. (L)
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