DATE=7/3/98
TYPE=NEWS ANALYSIS
NUMBER=5-40860
TITLE=CHINA / CLINTON
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S JUST-COMPLETED TRIP TO CHINA WAS
LONG ON SYMBOLISM AND SHORT ON SUBSTANCE. IN THIS NEWS ANALYSIS,
V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS THE TRIP'S MAIN ACHIEVEMENT WAS TO
ESTABLISH A FRANK -- AND MORE PUBLIC -- DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA
AND THE UNITED STATES.
TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLS HIS CHINA POLICY "A POLICY OF
ENGAGEMENT." IN A NEWS CONFERENCE BEFORE LEAVING HONG KONG FOR
HOME FRIDAY, MR. CLINTON DEFENDED HIS ADMINISTRATION'S ENGAGEMENT
STRATEGY, SAYING IT STILL HAS A STRONG HUMAN RIGHTS COMPONENT.
MR. CLINTON -- WHO AS A POLITICAL CANDIDATE OFTEN CRITICIZED
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH'S CHINA POLICY AS WEAK ON HUMAN RIGHTS --
SAYS HE HAS SINCE LEARNED A FEW LESSONS.
// CLINTON ACT //
I THINK ANY PRESIDENT WOULD SAY THAT ONCE YOU'VE SERVED IN THIS
JOB, YOU UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE THE NUANCES OF ALL THE
POLICIES THAN YOU DO BEFORE YOU GET IT (THE JOB).
// END ACT //
MR. CLINTON BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT CHINA
SINCE BEIJING'S BLOODY 1989 CRACKDOWN ON THE DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
IN TIANANMEN SQUARE. AND HIS FAILURE TO MEET WITH ANY CHINESE
DISSIDENTS DURING HIS VISIT DREW CRITICISM FROM SOME HUMAN RIGHTS
ACTIVISTS.
BUT PRESIDENT CLINTON SAYS HE WAS ENCOURAGED THAT HIS NEWS
CONFERENCE WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN WAS BROADCAST LIVE
ON CHINESE TELEVISION. MR. CLINTON USED THAT FORUM TO OPENLY
DISPUTE BEIJING'S EXPLANATION FOR TIANANMEN SQUARE
// CLINTON ACT //
I FELT THAT BY GOING DIRECTLY TO ENGAGE THE CHINESE, STARTING
WITH THE PRESIDENT, AND ESPECIALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS FREE AND OPEN DEBATE BEFORE ALL THE
CHINESE PEOPLE, I COULD DO MORE IN THE SHORT AND LONG RUN TO
ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
// END ACT //
ONE OF THE NUANCES OF U-S POLICY TOWARD CHINA IS BUSINESS.
DURING PRESIDENT CLINTON'S TRIP, CHINESE NEWSPAPERS DECLARED THAT
U-S COMPANIES HAD SIGNED TWO-BILLION DOLLARS' WORTH OF DEALS WITH
CHINESE COMPANIES. HOWEVER, MANY OF THE DEALS -- INCLUDING AN
ORDER THAT CHINA PLACED WITH THE "BOEING" COMPANY FOR 17 AIRCRAFT
-- HAD BEEN AGREED TO LONG BEFORE THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S
ARRIVAL IN CHINA.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE U-S TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA -- WHICH
REACHED NEARLY 50-BILLION DOLLARS IN 1997 -- IS GROWING EVEN
LARGER THIS YEAR.
THE STATUS OF TAIWAN -- AN ISLAND CHINA REGARDS AS A RENEGADE
PROVINCE -- IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT BOTH COUNTRIES FOCUSED ON
DURING PRESIDENT CLINTON'S TRIP.
IN A SPEECH IN SHANGHAI, THE PRESIDENT PUBLICLY ARTICULATED A
POLICY HE CALLED "THE THREE NO'S" -- ONE OF WHICH IS "NO" TO U-S
SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE.
PAST U-S ADMINISTRATIONS HAD SIMPLY "ACKNOWLEDGED" CHINA'S
POSITION ON TAIWAN, LEAVING U-S POLICY SOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS. AND
BEIJING WANTED AN UNEQUIVOCAL STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON ON
TAIWAN -- WHICH IT SEEMED TO RECEIVE.
IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS ADMINISTRATION'S TAIWAN POLICY,
MR. CLINTON ARGUED THAT HIS STATEMENT DID NOT INDICATE A CHANGE
IN U-S POLICY.
// CLINTON ACT //
THE QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE FOR TAIWAN, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BEEN
AMERICAN POLICY FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS BEEN A POLICY THAT HAS
BEEN EMBRACED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN TAIWAN ITSELF.
// END ACT //
CRITICS SAY, THOUGH, THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT
SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENS TAIWAN'S BARGAINING POWER IN NEGOTIATIONS
WITH CHINA AND UNDERMINES THE RIGHT OF THE DEMOCRATIC ISLAND'S
21-MILLION PEOPLE TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN FUTURE.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENT THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA
REACHED AS A RESULT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT WAS AN ACCORD
NOT TO POINT, OR TARGET, NUCLEAR MISSILES AT EACH OTHER.
ALTHOUGH THIS COULD PREVENT AN ACCIDENTAL STRIKE, THE AGREEMENT
IS LARGELY SYMBOLIC BECAUSE EXPERTS SAY THE MISSILES CAN BE
RE-TARGETED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
PRESIDENT CLINTON SAYS THE MAIN AIM OF HIS CHINA POLICY IS TO
INFLUENCE THE CHINESE POPULATION THROUGH EXPANDED TIES AND
INCREASED EXPOSURE. HIS FRANK, OPEN DEBATE WITH JIANG ZEMIN ON
CHINESE TELEVISION WAS A STEP TOWARD THAT GOAL -- IT GAVE THE
CHINESE PEOPLE THE KIND OF EXPOSURE TO U-S VIEWS THEY HAD NEVER
SEEN BEFORE. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/DWJ/RRM/PLM
03-Jul-98 11:40 PM EDT (0340 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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