He made no reference to China as a "strategic competitor," a phrase he used often during the presidential campaign.

"And as a rising military power, China is not viewed as a strategic partner but as a strategic competitor."

That critique was relatively muted compared to the days when Mr. Bush spoke of China as a "strategic competitor."

China has come through as a "formidable political, strategic and economic competitor" to the United States, increasingly challenging its regional and global leadership.

During his 2000 campaign, Mr. Bush described Beijing as a "strategic competitor" whose ambitions for global influence must be contained.

President Bush came into office pledging a different policy toward China, calling Beijing a strategic competitor rather than a strategic partner.

The secretary himself helped set the stage for today's generally positive atmosphere in the last few weeks by conspicuously dropping references to China as a "strategic competitor."

After asking the secretary the meaning of the phrase "strategic competitor," he accepted a bland answer without protest, the official said.

Instead, he called the nation a "strategic competitor," a term that translates harshly in Chinese.

I've heard the last administration talk about strategic partners, and then I've heard others say strategic competitors.