DATE=6/17/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40706
TITLE=U-S/CHINA - STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S UPCOMING TRIP TO CHINA IS PART OF AN
EFFORT TO FORGE A RELATIONSHIP WITH BEIJING THAT INVOLVES
COOPERATION ON ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN. IN THIS REPORT,
CORRESPONDENT STEPHANIE MANN TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT THE
ADMINISTRATION CALLS THE "CONSTRUCTIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP"
WITH CHINA.
TEXT: WHEN CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN CAME TO WASHINGTON
LAST OCTOBER, HE AND PRESIDENT CLINTON AGREED THE TWO COUNTRIES
SHOULD WORK TOWARD BUILDING A CONSTRUCTIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP.
U-S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA STANLEY ROTH CALLS
THAT THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OCTOBER SUMMIT. AT A RECENT
WASHINGTON GATHERING, MR. ROTH EXPLAINED THE CONCEPT OF A
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, SAYING IT IS NOT A MILITARY ALLIANCE.
// ROTH ACT //
THE PREMISE OF THIS POLICY, I BELIEVE, IS THAT WE SHOULD
BE TALKING TO CHINA AS A MAJOR POWER -- GLOBAL POWER AS
WELL AS A REGIONAL POWER -- ON VIRTUALLY EVERY MAJOR
INTERNATIONAL ISSUE, AND THAT OUR DISCUSSION HAS TO HAVE
A LARGER FRAMEWORK THAN JUST OUR BILATERAL PROBLEMS
WHICH ARE ADMITTEDLY FORMIDABLE. THIS IS NOT, I SHOULD
ADD, A PRETEXT FOR SWEEPING DIFFERENCES UNDER THE RUG,
NOT BRINGING THEM UP, OR NOT ENGAGING ON THEM, BUT
RATHER IT IS FOR PUTTING THEM IN A CONTEXT IN WHICH WE
CAN, AT A MINIMUM, MANAGE THEM WHILE GETTING PROGRESS ON
OTHER FRONTS, AND HOPEFULLY OVER TIME EITHER NARROWING
THE DIFFERENCES OR ULTIMATELY ELIMINATING THEM.
// END ACT //
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROTH SAYS THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA ARE
MAKING SOME PROGRESS ON THIS FRAMEWORK.
THE HEAD OF THE ASIA STUDIES ADVISORY BOARD AT THE HERITAGE
FOUNDATION, A CONSERVATIVE RESEARCH GROUP IN WASHINGTON, IS
SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE GOAL OF FORGING A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH
CHINA. ELAINE CHAO SAYS EVENTS SINCE THE OCTOBER SUMMIT HAVE
CAUSED MANY TO BE TROUBLED ABOUT THIS POLICY.
// CHAO ACT //
INCREASING NUMBERS OF IMPORTANT POLICYMAKERS ARE CALLING
THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP INTO QUESTION, CITING
ALLEGATIONS OF CHINESE INTERFERENCE IN 1996 NATIONAL
ELECTIONS, INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT CHINA IS TARGETING
ITS MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND, LAST MONTH,
PAKISTAN'S EXPLOSION AND DETONATION OF A NUCLEAR DEVICE
WHICH CHINA SUPPOSEDLY HELPED TO BUILD. THE FACT OF THE
MATTER IS THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS CONTRIBUTED LITTLE
OF SUBSTANCE OR POSITIVE NOTE TO THIS QUOTE-UNQUOTE
STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP. THERE IS SIMPLY TOO LITTLE
SHARING OF NATIONAL INTEREST AND OF FUNDAMENTAL VALUE ON
WHICH TO BUILD SUCH A RELATIONSHIP.
// END ACT //
MS. CHAO SAYS FOR SUCH A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA TO
WORK, IT MUST HAVE BROAD-BASED POLITICAL SUPPORT IN CONGRESS AND
AMONG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. SHE SAYS IT SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS
PART OF WHAT SHE CALLS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S NARROW AGENDA.
RICHARD HAAS, THE DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN POLICY STUDIES AT THE
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, A MORE LIBERAL RESEARCH CENTER IN
WASHINGTON, SAYS SINO-U-S RELATIONS MAY NOT YET HAVE ACHIEVED THE
LEVEL OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP. BUT, MR. HAASS SAYS THE SUMMIT
IN BEIJING WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TWO PRESIDENTS TO SHOW
WAYS THEIR COUNTRIES CAN COOPERATE.
// HAASS ACT //
THE U-S DEBATE OVER CHINA NEEDS TO BE BROADENED OUT AND
NOT JUST FOCUSED ON THE INEVITABLE DIFFERENCES BUT ALSO
TO REMIND PEOPLE OF SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO COOPERATE -- IN KOREA, FOR EXAMPLE... IT MAY NOT
BE WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS LAID OUT FOR ITSELF. IT
MAY NOT YET BE A CONSTRUCTIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP,
WHICH IS SETTING THE BAR AWFULLY HIGH, BUT AGAIN IT IS
CONSIDERABLY BETTER AND IT CAN BE EVEN MORE BETTER OVER
TIME THAN THE SORT OF VERY DISSONANT DEBATE THAT ONE IS
HEARING IN THE UNITED STATES.
// END ACT //
//OPT// FORMER U-S AMBASSADOR TO BEIJING, JAMES LILLEY, SAYS
THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF ISSUES -- BEYOND THE DIRECT BILATERAL
CONCERNS -- WHERE THE TWO GOVERNMENTS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER.
// LILLEY ACT //
I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOME VERY IMPORTANT THINGS TO TALK
ABOUT, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THIS ROGUE STATE NORTH
KOREA. CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES MUST KEEP THAT UNDER
CONTROL, BECAUSE IT COULD EXPLODE. IT'S A STARVING
NATION WITH LOTS OF WEAPONS; THAT'S ALL IT'S GOT.
YOU'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH THE INDIA-PAKISTAN THING AND GET
ON THE SAME WAVE LENGTH WITH CHINA. YOU'VE GOT TO TALK
TO CHINA ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. YOU'VE GOT TO TALK TO
THEM ABOUT WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION MATTERS. YOU'VE GOT
TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT MARKET OPENINGS. YOU'VE GOT TO
TALK TO THEM ABOUT AGRICULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY
COOPERATION, RULE OF LAW, MANY, MANY THINGS.
// END ACT //
AMBASSADOR LILLEY SAYS ONE AREA WHERE COOPERATION SHOULD NOT
PROCEED TOO DEEPLY IS MILITARY-TO-MILITARY CONTACTS. HE SAYS IT
WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AT
THIS TIME. //END OPT//
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, FORMER U-S DIPLOMAT
MICHAEL ARMACOST, SAYS THE EFFORT TO PROMOTE A SINO-U-S STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIP IS NOT OCCURING IN A VACUUM, AND HE POINTS TO SEVERAL
OTHER IMPORTANT COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.
// ARMACOST ACT //
THE CHINESE AND RUSSIANS NOW TALK ABOUT STRATEGIC
COOPERATION. THE JAPANESE AND THE RUSSIANS ARE TALKING
ABOUT COMPLETING A PEACE TREATY BY THE YEAR 2000. THE
CHINESE AND THE JAPANESE HAVE BEEN MOVING THEIR OWN
RELATIONSHIP FORWARD, ALTHOUGH NOT AT A VERY DRAMATIC
RATE. SO, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CHINESE DOESN'T
TAKE PLACE IN A STARK JUXTAPOSITION AGAINST OTHER
RELATIONSHIPS.
// END ACT //
MR. ARMACOST SAYS THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE PART OF WHAT HE CALLS A
COMPETETIVE PROCESS OF IMPROVING BILATERAL RELATIONS IN THE
REGION.
NEB/SMN/WFR
17-Jun-98 12:13 PM EDT (1613 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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