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US reviewing all contacts with China
US President George W. Bush has ordered a review of all US government contacts with China following an 11-day spy plane standoff that strained relations, a White House spokesman said.
After Bush signaled the review on Thursday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Friday the president had directed the departments of defense and state and other agencies engaged with China to "take a look case by case" at their contacts with Beijing.
Secretary of State Colin Powell will evaluate contacts at his department, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will review contacts in other agencies.
Fleischer said the goal was "to make a determination on a case-by-case basis about which of those contacts are the most positive and productive for the United States and which may not be."
Officials described it as a relatively informal process and contacts that would be under review would be whether U.S. officials had any meetings with Chinese officials planned or whether they planned to attend any conferences in China.
"It's not business as usual yet with China," said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush had signaled the review on Thursday when asked about the decision to look at U.S.-Chinese military contacts.
"We're going to review all opportunities to interface with the Chinese," Bush told reporters. "And if it enhances our relationship, it might make sense. If it's a useless exercise, and it doesn't make the relationship any better, then we won't do that."
US-Chinese relations have been strained by an 11-day standoff after a US spy made an emergency landing in China and by Bush's pledge to defend Taiwan.
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