Bush: China's military would be a worry if it turns hostile

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US President George W. Bush said in an interview broadcast Friday that he would be concerned about China's military if the country ever turned hostile, and he urged allied countries to keep their troops in Iraq. Speaking to Australia's Sky News network in Washington ahead of a visit to Australia for an annual meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, Bush addressed China's growing economy and military. "My view of China is that they're internally focused to the extent that they want economic growth and vitality, they're externally focused in order to get the raw materials they need, but if they ever turn hostile, I would be concerned about the military," Bush said. Bush said his administration spends "a lot of time on China" and that Washington had good relations with both China and Japan, two traditional rivals in Asia. He said it was important for the United States to be an "active presence in Asia to make sure that old tensions don't flare up."