Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=6/4/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233400
TITLE=CONGRESS / CLINTON / CHINA (L)
BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:    IN YET ANOTHER REBUKE OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S 
CHINA  POLICY, THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS PASSED A 
RESOLUTION URGING THE PRESIDENT TO STAY AWAY FROM TIANANMEN 
SQUARE.  HIS SPOKESMAN SAYS MR. CLINTON WILL GO AHEAD WITH PLANS 
TO OPEN HIS CHINA SUMMIT WITH AN OFFICIAL CEREMONY PLANNED BY THE
BEIJING GOVERNMENT. BUT AS V-O-A'S PAULA WOLFSON REPORTS, MANY 
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SAY HE SHOULD NOT BE RECEIVED AT THE SITE OF 
THE 1989 CRACKDOWN ON THE CHINESE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.
TEXT:   THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE HOUSE DOES NOT HAVE THE 
FORCE OF  LAW.   BUT IT DOES DRAMATIZE THE DEEPENING TENSIONS 
BETWEEN THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED CONGRESS AND THE DEMOCRAT IN 
THE WHITE HOUSE.
NEW YORK REPUBLICAN BENJAMIN GILMAN -- THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSE 
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE --  OPENED THE DEBATE AND SET 
THE TONE.
                        ////GILMAN ACT///
         DOES THE PRESIDENT REALLY NEED TO STAND ON THAT 
         BLOOD-STAINED TIANANMEN SQUARE SO THAT BEIJING CAN FEEL 
         COMFORTABLE TRADING WITH US?  I THINK NOT.
                        ////END ACT/////
SOME MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN 
CHINA...OTHERS BROUGHT UP THE CONTINUING CONTROVERSY OVER U-S 
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS.  CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN CHRISTOPHER COX 
SPOKE OF THOSE WHO DEMONSTRATED IN TIANANMEN SQUARE NINE YEARS 
AGO...AND NOW LANGUISH IN CHINESE PRISONS.
                      ///// COX ACT //////
         IT ISN'T JUST THAT OVER TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE KILLED 
         BY P-L-A (PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY) TROOPS AND TANKS ON 
         THAT DAY, AS ESTIMATED BY THE CHINESE RED CROSS AND 
         OTHER RELIABLE SOURCES, INCLUDING EYEWITNESS 
         ACCOUNTS....IT'S THAT THE SURVIVORS OF THOSE DEMOCRACY 
         DEMONSTRATIONS ARE STILL IN JAIL TODAY IN 1998.
                      ///// END ACT //////
MR. COX IS THE AUTHOR OF A SERIES OF BILLS CRITICAL OF CHINA THAT
CLEARED THE HOUSE LATE LAST YEAR.   INDIANA DEMOCRAT LEE HAMILTON
WARNED THE TIANANMEN SQUARE RESOLUTION SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED IN 
ISOLATION.
                     ///// HAMILTON ACT ////
         IT IS PART OF A PATTERN THAT HAS SEEN THIS HOUSE TAKE UP
         ONE  ANTI-CHINA RESOLUTION OR AMENDMENT AFTER ANOTHER 
         SINCE THE U-S CHINA SUMMIT LAST FALL.  TOGETHER, THESE 
         MEASURES ARE IMMENSELY COMPLICATING THE MANAGEMENT OF 
         THIS MOST DIFFICULT FOREIGN POLICY RELATIONSHIP.
                        /////END ACT/////
OTHER DEMOCRATS SAID THE UNITED STATES HAS NO BUSINESS TELLING A 
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT WHERE TO HOLD ITS OFFICIAL CEREMONIES.    
CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN HOWARD BERMAN SAID THE PRESIDENT SHOULD GO
TO  TIANANMEN SQUARE AND -- IN REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED -- 
UNDERSCORE AMERICA'S COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS.
                       ////BERMAN ACT////
         MR. PRESIDENT GO THERE.  SPEAK AGAINST THAT HORROR.  
         SPEAK AGAINST WHAT WE DON'T WANT.  PUSH AN AGENDA WHICH 
         IS MEANINGFUL AND REAL.
                        ////END ACT/////
THE BILL CLEARED THE HOUSE EASILY. 304 MEMBERS VOTED FOR 
IT....116 VOTED "NO."    SIMILAR LEGISLATION IS PENDING IN THE 
SENATE. (SIGNED)
NEB/PT
04-Jun-98 7:54 PM EDT (2354 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.