DATE=06/24/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10779
TITLE=THE PRESIDENT VISITING CHINA
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS [ENROUTE TO] [HAS LANDED IN] CHINA
AND, HERE AT HOME, NEWSPAPER COMMENTARY PAGES ARE FILLED WITH
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HISTORIC VISIT.
WE WELCOME ______________ TO OUR MICROPHONES NOW WITH A SAMPLING
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: SEVERAL PAPERS ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE VISIT MAKES A LOT
OF SENSE, GIVEN CHINA'S VAST POPULATION, AND ITS PROMISE TO BE A
MAJOR POWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY. IT IS TOO BIG TO BE IGNORED,
AND, THROUGH SUCH SUMMITS, DIFFERENCES OVER HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
AND WEAPON SALES CAN AT LEAST BE DISCUSSED.
HOWEVER, MANY DAILIES NOTE THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON GOES TO
BEIJING, PLAGUED BY CONTROVERSIES AT HOME OVER THE TRIP,
INCLUDING HIS PLANNED, OFFICIAL GREETING IN TIANANMEN SQUARE, AND
ALLEGATIONS THAT HE ALLOWED CHINESE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO
INFLUENCE HIS POLICY ON SHARING MISSILE TECHNOLOGY.
SOME PAPERS, LIKE "THE BOSTON GLOBE" FEEL THE PRESIDENT HAS
STRUCK THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE IN DEALINGS WITH BEIJING LEADING
UP TO HIS VISIT, AND REMINDS READERS WHY SINO-U-S RELATIONS ARE
SO VERY IMPORTANT.
VOICE: ARGUABLY THE TWO MOST DAUNTING TASKS OF AMERICAN FOREIGN
POLICY IN THE NEXT CENTURY WILL BE DEALING WITH THE
DECLINE OF ONE SUPERPOWER, RUSSIA, WHILE MANAGING THE
RISE OF A FUTURE SUPERPOWER, CHINA. ..... CHINA IS A
DRAGON WRESTLING TO SHED ITS OLD SKIN. IT IS NOT YET
A DEMOCRACY, NOR ARE ALL OF ITS MARKETS FREE. YET THERE
CAN BE NO DENYING THAT CHINA IS SHUCKING [LOSING] THE
REMNANTS OF A COMMAND-AND-CONTROL ECONOMY AND A
DICTATORSHIP IN WHICH THE GOVERNED HAD NO SAY AND THE
RULE OF LAW WAS LITTLE MORE THAN COMMUNIST PARTY WHIM.
IN ALMOST EVERY MEASURABLE WAY - - INCLUDING HUMAN
RIGHTS - - CHINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE IDEALS AND
PRACTICES OF THE WORLD'S DEMOCRACIES.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: FROM "THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS," COMES THIS COMMENT BY
WASHINGTON-BASED SANDY GRADY, THE PAPER'S CHIEF POLITICAL
COLUMNIST, AS PUBLISHED IN "THE MIAMI HERALD" ABOUT HOW MR.
CLINTON CAN, IF HE WISHES, MATCH THE POLITICAL COURAGE OF FORMER
PRESIDENT REAGAN ON THIS VISIT.
VOICE: IN BEIJING, [PRESIDENT] CLINTON WILL HAVE HIS SHOT AT
GRABBING HISTORY BY THE THROAT. I'VE SIDED WITH CRITICS
WHO DAMN [MR.] CLINTON'S VISIT TO TIANANMEN AS A MISTAKE
- - AN ACT OF PATSY [COWARDLY] DEBASEMENT. IT'S A COUP
FOR CHINA'S HIERARCHY ..... BUT IF [MR.] CLINTON MUST GO
TO TIANANMEN, IT'S HIS CHANCE TO SNATCH TRIUMPH ....
FROM THE JAWS OF HUMILIATION. ..... I WANT HIM TO SAY
THAT THE UNITED STATES DETESTS THE MASSACRE THAT TOOK
PLACE ON JUNE 4TH, 1989. THAT WE HONOR THE IDEALS OF
THOSE WHO DIED ON TIANANMEN'S BRICKS. ..... THIS IS
ABOUT BLOOD, IDEALS, AND HONOR, NOT SELLING COCA-COLA.
SPEAK FOR US, MR. PRESIDENT .... SEIZE THE MOMENT.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: FOR ITS PART, "THE HARTFORD [CONNECTICUT] COURANT" SAYS
"CHINA CANNOT BE ISOLATED," ADDING:
VOICE: /// OPT /// THERE ARE GOOD REASONS, AS PRESIDENT
CLINTON'S CRITICS HAVE VOCIFEROUSLY POINTED OUT .....
FOR HIM TO CANCEL HIS TRIP .... BUT THERE ARE BETTER
REASONS FOR HIM TO GO. /// END OPT /// ....... THE VISIT
WOULD SERVE U-S INTERESTS IF MR. CLINTON DOES NOT
MINCE WORDS [IS UNUSUALLY CANDID] IN CONVEYING AMERICA'S
CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, PROTECTIONIST TRADE
PRACTICES AND ARMS EXPORTS TO VOLATILE REGIONS. .... THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS TOO VITAL AND TOO COMPLEX TO
BE DEALT WITH BY SIMPLY CANCELING A TRIP OR, CONVERSELY,
WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL.
TEXT: IN TEXAS, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS" RECALLS COMMENTS MADE
BY THEN-CANDIDATE BILL CLINTON ON HOW THEN-PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
WAS HANDLING CHINA:
VOICE: .... MR. CLINTON ACCUSED HIS OPPONENT, PRESIDENT ...
BUSH, OF 'CODDLING DICTATORS' BY URGING CONGRESS NOT
TO REVOKE CHINA'S NORMAL TRADE STATUS. IF ELECTED, HE
SAID ... HE [CLINTON] WOULD 'LINK CHINA'S TRADING
PRIVILEGES TO ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND ITS CONDUCT ON
TRADE AND WEAPONS SALES.' CANDIDATE CLINTON'S CHINA
POLICY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFERENT FROM MR.
BUSH'S; NOW ... THEIR POLICIES COULDN'T BE MORE ALIKE.
THERE ARE LESSONS IN THIS: ONE IS THAT IT'S EASY TO TAKE
POTSHOTS [CRITICIZE] WHEN YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR PROPOSALS. ANOTHER IS THAT A
POLITICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE CHANGES MIGHTILY ONCE HE TAKES
OFFICE.
TEXT: THE DALLAS PAPER CONCLUDES BY SUPPORTING THE TRIP,
POINTING OUT THAT "ISOLATING CHINA WON'T ENCOURAGE IT TO CHANGE;
ENGAGING IT MIGHT."
AND LASTLY, A "MIAMI HERALD" EDITORIAL LOOKS AT THE IMPORTANCE OF
ECONOMICS.
VOICE: WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT, AT THIS MOMENT, CHINA HOLDS THE
KEY TO ECONOMIC STABILITY IN ASIA. SHOULD CHINA DEVALUE
ITS CURRENCY TO REGAIN MARKETS THAT IT RECENTLY LOST TO
NOW-CHEAPER GOODS FROM THAILAND AND INDONESIA, IT COULD
PUT THE JAPANESE ECONOMY INTO A TAILSPIN. THAT COULD
SEND AN ILL WIND THROUGH THE U-S ECONOMY AS WELL. FOR
ITS PLEDGE NOT TO DEVALUE, CHINA WILL WANT SOMETHING
FROM THE UNITED STATES. CAN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND
CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN, THE 'GRADUALIST'
REFORMER, FIND A BALANCE OF COINCIDING INTERESTS THAT
WILL TAKE BOTH COUNTRIES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY TOGETHER
- - AS AWAKENING FRIENDS INSTEAD OF SLEEPING FOES? LET
US HOPE SO.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S TRIP TO CHINA.
NEB/ANG/GE
24-Jun-98 2:34 PM EDT (1834 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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