DATE=5/27/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40514
TITLE=U-S/CHINA / CONTROVERSIES
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO CHINA IN LATE
JUNE FOR A SUMMIT WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN. HOWEVER,
ALLEGATIONS ABOUT IMPROPER DEALINGS BETWEEN THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION AND CHINA ARE THREATENING TO OVERSHADOW THE
SUMMIT. AS V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT STEPHANIE MANN REPORTS, SOME
LONGTIME ANALYSTS OF SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS SAY THE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP IS STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND SUCH CRITICISM.
TEXT: IN RECENT WEEKS, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN
HOUNDED BY CONTROVERSY RELATED TO ITS CHINA DEALINGS.
THE ACCUSATIONS INCLUDE CHARGES THE ADMINISTRATION GAVE SPECIAL
TREATMENT TO THE LORAL SPACE AND COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, WAIVING
SANCTIONS AND ALLOWING THE COMPANY TO LAUNCH ITS SATELLITE ABOARD
A CHINESE ROCKET. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE COMPANY IS REPORTED
TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST INDIVIDUAL DONORS TO THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY. IN ADDITION, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING
LORAL AND THE HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORPORATION FOR ALLEGEDLY
PASSING SENSITIVE INFORMATION ABOUT MISSILE GUIDANCE SYSTEMS TO
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AFTER A CHINESE ROCKET LAUNCH FAILED IN
1996.
MEANWHILE, CONGRESSIONAL PANELS ARE LOOKING INTO NEARLY
100-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY
CAMPAIGN COMMITTES IN 1996 FROM A CHINESE BUSINESSWOMAN, LIU
CHAOYING, WHO IS ALSO A CHINESE ARMY OFFICER. THERE ARE REPORTS
THE CONTRIBUTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF A CHINESE EFFORT TO
INFLUENCE U-S POLICY, SOMETHING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS
DENIED.
THESE ALLEGATIONS HAVE PROMPTED MANY REPUBLICANS AND OTHER
CRITICS OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO URGE PRESIDENT CLINTON TO
POSTPONE OR CANCEL HIS TRIP TO CHINA. MR. CLINTON HAS DISMISSED
SUCH CALLS, SAYING THE U-S PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA HAS MADE
PROGRESS ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES, INCLUDING NON-PROLIFERATION AND
HUMAN RIGHTS.
LONG-TIME CHINA ANALYSTS SAY THE PRESIDENT SHOULD GO AHEAD WITH
HIS TRIP AND NOT POSTPONE HIS MEETING WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT
JIANG ZEMIN. NEVERTHELESS, THEY SAY THE CONTROVERSIES BREWING IN
WASHINGTON ARE BOUND TO AFFECT THE SUMMIT.
THOMAS ROBINSON, THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN-ASIAN RESEARCH
ENTERPRISES -- A RESEARCH AND CONSULTING FIRM IN SUBURBAN
WASHINGTON -- SAYS THE QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS ARE LIKELY TO AFFECT THE TENOR OF THE
SUMMIT, BUT NOT WHETHER THE SUMMIT IS HELD.
// ROBINSON ACT //
THE TIMING IS CERTAINLY UNFORTUNATE. BUT CLINTON WILL
GO AHEAD WITH THE SUMMIT, WHATEVER HAPPENS. AND IT MAY
DETRACT FROM THE SYMBOLIC SUCCESS OF THE SUMMIT, AND
CLINTON HAS GOT TO WATCH HIS STEP IN THAT REGARD.
// END ACT //
MR. ROBINSON SAYS THERE APPEARS TO BE A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS IN
THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS AND POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT HE DOES
NOT BELIEVE THE EVENTS WERE COORDINATED. YET, HE SAYS CONCERNS
BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY ARE VALID WHEN
DEALING WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT U-S COMPANIES GAVE CHINA
INFORMATION ABOUT LAUNCHING ROCKETS -- INFORMATION THAT IS
APPLICABLE TO MISSILE GUIDANCE SYSTEMS.
FORMER U-S AMBASSADOR TO CHINA JAMES LILLEY AGREES THE
ALLEGATIONS ARE SERIOUS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING U-S OFFICIALS
HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE LORAL COMPANY ENGAGED IN POSSIBLY ILLEGAL
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS.
// LILLEY ACT //
THIS IS A REAL ISSUE, WITH REAL TEETH IN IT. I DON'T
THINK IT SHOULD THROW OFF CLINTON'S TRIP TO CHINA. I
THINK HE SHOULD GO AHEAD WITH THAT, BUT THIS ISSUE ON
TECH TRANSFER IS SERIOUS. I MEAN, YOU READ THE QUOTE
THAT LORAL HAD CARRIED OUT 'CRIMINAL, LIKELY TO BE
INDICTED, KNOWING AND UNLAWFUL' -- THEY SAID THAT ABOUT
WHAT THEY DID IN 1996. THAT IS BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
// END ACT //
MR. LILLEY, WHO SERVED AS AMBASSADOR IN BEIJING IN THE EARLY
1990'S, SAYS THE CONTROVERSIES WILL NOT OVERSHADOW THE SUMMIT,
BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA HAVE SOME VERY IMPORTANT
ITEMS TO DISCUSS -- IN PARTICULAR, NORTH KOREA, THE
INDIA-PAKISTAN NUCLEAR ISSUE, AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
ANOTHER FORMER U-S AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, ARTHUR HUMMEL, SAYS THE
CONTROVERSIES OVER POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFERS ARE MOSTLY AMERICAN POLITICAL POSTURING IN A
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION YEAR.
// HUMMEL ACT //
THE PRESIDENT IS SO POPULAR THAT THE OPPOSITION PARTY,
THE REPUBLICANS, SEEM TO BE RATHER DESPERATE AND USING
RATHER EXTREME LANGUAGE IN THEIR CRITICISM OF THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION. THE ALLEGATIONS ARE FLYING,
AND, SO FAR AS I KNOW, NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN PROVEN.
// END ACT //
// OPT // AMBASSADOR HUMMEL SAYS THE MEDIA HAS ENGAGED IN HYPE
AND EXAGGERATION, ACCUSING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OF SELLING
SENSITIVE SATELLITES TO CHINA. HE POINTS OUT THAT THE SATELLITES
HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD TO CHINA; THEY ARE OWNED BY AMERICAN
COMPANIES WHO SEND THEM TO CHINA TO BE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT BY
CHINESE ROCKETS. MR. HUMMEL, WHO SERVED AS U-S AMBASSADOR IN
BEIJING IN THE EARLY 1980'S, NOTES THE FIRST TIME AUTHORIZATION
WAS GIVEN FOR AN AMERICAN COMPANY TO LAUNCH ITS SATELLITE FROM A
CHINESE ROCKET WAS DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION. // END OPT
//
AMBASSADOR HUMMEL SAYS THE BEST THING FOR BOTH WASHINGTON AND
BEIJING TO DO ABOUT THE UNPROVEN A/L/L/E/G/A/T/I/O/N IS TO
IGNORE THEM. AMBASSADOR LILLEY SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT TO
INVESTIGATE THE CHARGES, BUT NOT TO LET WHAT ARE MOSTLY DOMESTIC
AMERICAN QUESTIONS GET IN THE WAY OF THE IMPORTANT BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA.
// LILLEY ACT 2 //
YOU DON'T LET IT POISON THE WHOLE RELATIONSHIP. THIS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THING IS BASICALLY AN AMERICAN
PROBLEM, AND WE'VE GOT TO SOLVE THAT IN-HOUSE. YES, IT
WILL PERHAPS SET THE RELATIONSHIP BACK SLIGHTLY, BUT ...
YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE CHINESE ARE OUR
FRIENDS AND SHOULD BE OUR FRIENDS. AND WE SHOULD DEAL
THEM AND TRADE WITH THEM AND HAVE ALL KINDS OF
EXCHANGES.
// END ACT //
AMBASSADOR HUMMEL AGREES, SAYING THE FOUNDATION OF THE U-S/
CHINESE RELATIONSHIP IS SOUND ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND THE CURRENT
FLURRY OF CRITICISM. (SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/PT
27-May-98 4:04 PM EDT (2004 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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