DATE=05/18/98
TYPE=U-S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10719
TITLE=NEW ALLEGATIONS ABOUT A CLINTON "CHINA CONNECTION"
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
INTRO: NEW DETAILS HAVE EMERGED ABOUT AN ALLEGED CONTRIBUTION OF
ABOUT 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM A CHINESE MILITARY AEROSPACE
OFFICER TO THE 1986 CLINTON-GORE REELECTION TREASURY. IF PROVEN,
THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE CONSIDERED BY MANY OBSERVERS TO BE FAR MORE
THREATENING TO PRESIDENT CLINTON THAN THE SEXUAL ACCUSATIONS HE
FACES REGARDING FORMER WHITE HOUSE INTERN MONICA LEWINSKY.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" ON FRIDAY [5/15] BROKE THE STORY OF HOW A
FUND-RAISER FOR THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN, JOHNNY CHUNG, HAS
REPORTEDLY TOLD FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS THAT HE ACTED AS A CONDUIT
FOR THE MONEY.
ALREADY THERE IS ADVERSE EDITORIAL REACTION IN THE AMERICAN PRESS
TO THESE NEW REVELATIONS, AND NOW WE'RE JOINED BY
____________________ WHO HAS A SAMPLING FOR US IN TODAY'S U-S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" SAID IN ITS COPYRIGHTED STORY THAT
MR. CHUNG HAS TOLD JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS THAT HE ARRANGED
TO GET MS. LIU CHAOYING INTO A WEST COAST FUNDRAISER, WHERE SHE
HAD HER PICTURE TAKEN WITH THE PRESIDENT AND CONTRIBUTED
ONE-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE DEMOCRATS' CAMPAIGN FUND.
MS. LIU IS A LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN THE CHINESE ARMY. SHE WORKS
IN HONG KONG AS AN AEROSPACE EXECUTIVE FOR THE COMMERCIAL ARM OF
CHINA'S SPACE PROGRAM. SHE IS ALSO REPORTED TO BE A MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE SPECIALIST. AND, POSSIBLY MOST IMPORTANT, SHE IS
THE DAUGHTER OF GENERAL LIU HUAQING, WHO WAS, UNTIL LAST YEAR,
CHINA'S TOP MILITARY COMMANDER.
THE PAPER MAKES THE CONNECTION THAT IT WAS NOT LONG AFTER THIS
GIFT THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON REVERSED AN ORDER BY SECRETARY OF
STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER. THE REVERSAL ENABLED TWO UNITED STATES
COMPANIES TO LAUNCH THEIR COMMERCIAL SATELLITES ON CHINA'S MOST
POWERFUL ROCKETS. IT IS ALLEGED THAT AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT
DEAL, CHINA GAINED VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT U-S MILITARY AND
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES IN SPACE.
THESE NEW ALLEGATIONS ARE CAUSING A FUROR IN THE NEWS MEDIA, AND
HAVE ALREADY BEGUN GENERATING EDITORIALS, SUCH AS THIS ONE, IN
MONDAY'S 5/18] "MANCHESTER [NEW HAMPSHIRE] UNION-LEADER," A
PERSISTENT CRITIC OF THE PRESIDENT'S.
VOICE: THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THAT THE CLINTON-GORE CAMPAIGN DID
NOT KNOW THE ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT DEMOCRAT
FUND-RAISER JOHNNY CHUNG DELIVERED CAME FROM AN OFFICER
IN RED CHINA'S PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY. .... AT THE
TIME, BILL CLINTON WAS FACILITATING A DEAL BETWEEN
AMERICAN COMPANIES AND BEIJING FOR THE LAUNCHING OF U-S
CIVILIAN COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES ON CHINESE MISSILES.
..... ARE THERE STILL NO DEMOCRATS WHO FIND ALL OF THIS
SUSPICIOUS, IF NOT DOWNRIGHT FRIGHTENING? AT THE VERY
TIME THE PRESIDENT WAS CUTTING [MAKING] DEALS WITH RED
CHINA'S MILITARY, HIS CAMPAIGN WAS POCKETING MONEY FROM
THE HIGHEST RANKING MILITARY AND COMMUNIST PARTY
OFFICIALS IN BEIJING. .... NONE OF THIS WAS POLITICS AS
USUAL. .... THIS WAS A DELIBERATE ATTACK ON THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM, THE COMPROMISING OF
OUR NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY BY THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
TEXT: THERE ARE OTHER CRIES OF OUTRAGE AND CONCERN FROM "THE
DETROIT NEWS" WHICH RAN THIS COMMENTARY IN MONDAY'S [5/18]
EDITIONS.
VOICE: THE .... TALE SEEMS EVEN MORE FRIGHTENING IN THE WAKE OF
RECENT REVELATIONS THAT CHINA HAS AIMED 13 OF ITS 18
NUCLEAR INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES AT THE
UNITED STATES AND UPGRADED THE WEAPONS SO A MISSILE CAN
CARRY TEN WARHEADS RATHER THAN ONE. MR. CHUNG'S
REPORTED TESTIMONY HAS SENT TREMORS THROUGH OFFICIAL
WASHINGTON. IF THE REPORT IS TRUE, IT VINDICATES
SENATOR FRED THOMPSON, REPUBLICAN OF TENNESSEE, WHO WAS
NEARLY HOOTED DOWN DURING LAST YEAR'S CAMPAIGN-FINANCE
HEARINGS BY DEMOCRATS ..... FOR ALLEGING THE EXISTENCE
OF A 'CHINESE PLAN' TO INFLUENCE THE ... ELECTIONS.
..... MOST IMPORTANT, PERHAPS, MR. CHUNG HAS TURNED UP
THE HEAT ON ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO. THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL SAYS SHE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO
REQUESTING AN INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO EXAMINE WHAT
PRESIDENT ... CLINTON AND VICE-PRESIDENT .... GORE MAY
HAVE HAD TO DO WITH THE POSSIBLE SWAP OF NATIONAL
SECURITY FOR PETTY CASH. ..... THESE EVENTS, BY
THEMSELVES, PROVE NOTHING, BUT THEY RAISE THE
INESCAPABLE QUESTIONS: WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT SELL, AND
WHEN DID HE SELL IT?
TEXT: NEXT, TO THE PAPER THAT BROKE THE STORY, "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" WHICH HAS REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A
SPECIAL COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN FUND RAISING.
ON SUNDAY [5/17] THE PAPER COMMENTED THAT ALL PREVIOUS COMMENTS
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE DISMISSING JOHNNY CHUNG AS A RELATIVELY
HARMLESS, THOUGH OVER EXUBERANT, FUND RAISER AMONG THE
ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, NOW APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MISLEADING
"THE TIMES" NOTES:
VOICE: NOW, IN A BREAKTHROUGH FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S
INVESTIGATION OF THE CAMPAIGN SCANDALS, MR. CHUNG HAS
ADMITTED THAT A LARGE PORTION OF THE MONEY HE RAISED FOR
THE DEMOCRATS ORIGINATED WITH THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION
ARMY IN CHINA. THE FIRST HARD EVIDENCE OF THE CHINA
CONNECTION TO THE LAST PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN SHOULD COMPEL
ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO TO MOVE AT LAST FOR THE
SELECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR. IT ALSO SENDS
AN URGENT MESSAGE TO CONGRESS TO REFORM THE FUND-RAISING
SYSTEM. /// OPT /// ..... THE ADMINISTRATION MAINTAINS
THAT NONE OF ITS POLICY DECISIONS RESULTED FROM CAMPAIGN
MONEY. BUT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS INTENSIVELY INVOLVED IN
FUND-RAISING AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS, AND ONLY AN INQUIRY
LED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN A POLITICAL APPOINTEE OF THE
PRESIDENT WILL SATISFY THE PUBLIC.
TEXT: IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES" IS ALSO
VERY UPSET, CLOSING ITS LONG COMMENTARY ON "THE CHINESE
CONNECTION" WITH THESE THOUGHTS:
VOICE: THE WHITE HOUSE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INSIST THAT THIS IS ALL
SHEER COINCIDENCE OR PERHAPS A BUREAUCRATIC SNAFU - -
LIKE SO MUCH ELSE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. BUT THE TIME
HAS RUN OUT FOR EXCUSES. CHINAGATE COULD MAKE EVERY
OTHER SORDID CLINTON SCANDAL PALE BY COMPARISON.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: AND LASTLY, FROM ANOTHER PAPER THAT HOLDS NO PARTICULAR
BRIEF FOR MUCH OF WHAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE, "THE
NEW YORK POST," WHICH FUMES:
VOICE: NOW IT APPEARS THAT [MR.] HUANG'S TEAM WAS INVOLVED IN
PUMPING MONEY FROM A COMMUNIST MILITARY THAT WAS
SEEKING, AND SUCCEEDED IN OBTAINING, A CHANGE IN U-S
POLICY. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. IF THIS GOES ANY HIGHER
THAN JOHNNY CHUNG - - AND IT MUST, BECAUSE SOMEBODY
ARRANGED THE SWEETHEART VISA THAT GOT DADDY'S LITTLE
GIRL [MS. LIU CHAO-YING] INTO THE COUNTRY - - THEN THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS IN VERY DEEP TROUBLE. AND IF
IT GOES ANY HIGHER THAN DEPUTY COMMERCE SECRETARY JOHN
HUANG - - ANY HIGHER - - BILL CLINTON ** WILL** BE
IMPEACHED. AND HE WILL DESERVE IT.
TEXT: WITH THAT OMINOUS AND SERIOUS COMMENT, WE CONCLUDE THIS
SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT FOLLOWING LAST FRIDAY'S REVELATION
IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" THAT AT LEAST ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND
DOLLARS FROM THE CHINESE ARMY FOUND ITS WAY DIRECTLY INTO THE
1996 CLINTON-GORE RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN COFFERS.
NEB/ANG/KL
18-May-98 3:21 PM EDT (1921 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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