DATE=03/03/99
TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST / OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11173
TITLE=U-S CHINA RELATIONS WORSEN
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT'S TRIP TO CHINA,
PREPARING THE WAY FOR A STATE VISIT NEXT MONTH TO WASHINGTON OF
PREMIER ZHU RONGJI, HAS FOCUSED THE ATTENTION ON THE STATE OF
SINO-U-S RELATIONS. MANY U-S EDITORIALISTS FEEL THEY ARE
WORSENING, AS THE CHINESE STEP UP THEIR PERSECUTION OF
PRO-DEMOCRACY DISSENTERS.
WE GET A SAMPLING NOW IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP FROM
______________.
TEXT: DURING MRS. ALBRIGHT'S BEIJING TRIP THIS WEEK SHE
EXCHANGED BARBED COMMENTS WITH HER HOSTS ABOUT CHINA'S RECENT
JAILING OF SEVERAL DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES. THOSE EXCHANGES HAVE
AGAIN CALLED INTO QUESTION THE CLINTON POLICY OF SEPARATING HUMAN
RIGHTS FROM TRADE ISSUES.
THERE IS ALSO CONCERN ABOUT CHINA'S CONTINUED ARMS SALES TO
COUNTRIES THE UNITED STATES DEEMS TERRORIST SUPPORTERS, AND THE
FACT THAT BILL CLINTON IS HAVING TROUBLE -- ACCORDING TO "THE
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" -- "FINDING SOMEONE TO BE AMBASSADOR TO
CHINA."
IN "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER," SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST
TRUDY RUBIN TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF DEALING WITH CHINA, AND
THE NEED FOR PATIENCE TO ASSESS WHAT SHE FEELS IS SLOW PROGRESS.
VOICE: OUR [THE U-S] CHINA DEBATE SAYS MORE ABOUT OUR OWN
CONFUSION SINCE THE COLD WAR THAN IT DOES ABOUT CHINA.
TOO MANY POLITICIANS WANT TO DEFINE U-S -CHINA AS A
ZERO-SUM GAME: EITHER THEY ARE WITH US, MARCHING
STRAIGHT AHEAD TO DEMOCRACY AND PARTNERSHIP, OR THEY ARE
'AGIN' [SLANG FOR: AGAINST] US. /// OPT /// IN THE
WORLDS OF NOTED ASIA EXPERT ROBERT MANNING, 'WE HAVE
TROUBLE [MAKING CHINA POLICY] WHEN THINGS ARE GRAY.'
[MR.] MANNING THINKS THAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
TRAPPED ITSELF BY OVERSELLING CHINA POLICY. 'CHINA IS
NEITHER FRIEND NOR FOE, BUT AN EMERGING GREAT POWER ...'
... NO DOUBT ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FEARED THAT IF
THEY DIDN'T HYPE [EXTOL] THE IMMINENCE OF DEMOCRACY, THE
CHINA-BASHERS WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY [SLANG: SUCCEED]
/// END OPT /// ... CHINA IS CHANGING DAILY. EVEN
THOUGH SOME DISSIDENTS ARE ARRESTED, CHINESE ARE
CONSTANTLY GAINING MORE LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS. VILLAGE
ELECTIONS, LEGAL REFORMS, MORE USE OF THE INTERNET
(DESPITE CONTROLS), MORE JOURNALS AND NEWSPAPERS, WILL
BUILD INTERNAL PRESSURE FOR CHANGE.
TEXT: IN THE MIDWEST, "THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD" BRINGS UP YET
ANOTHER SORE POINT IN RELATIONS.
VOICE: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS ASSUMED A STERNER
ATTITUDE TOWARD CHINA IN RECENT DAYS, AN APPROPRIATE
CHANGE OF PACE IN VIEW OF CHINA'S WORSENING HUMAN-RIGHTS
SITUATION AND ITS ILLEGAL ATTEMPTS TO HARVEST CLASSIFIED
AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY. /// OPT /// A SERIOUS CONCERN IN
RECENT YEARS HAD BEEN THAT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS SOFT ON
CHINA BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL DONATIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES
TO THE 1996 CLINTON RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE CHINA
CONNECTION HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY EXPLAINED OR
INVESTIGATED. ... HOWEVER ... SECRETARY OF STATE ...
ALBRIGHT WAS ANYTHING BUT MEEK AS SHE STRONGLY URGED
CHINESE OFFICIALS TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS AND
STOP SUPPRESSING FREE EXPRESSION. /// END OPT /// ... A
WIDENING RIFT WITH CHINA WOULD BE A BLOW TO SOME U-S
BUSINESS INTERESTS ... BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT AN
ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT. THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT LEVERAGE TO PROTECT ITS INTERESTS
IN DEALING WITH THE CHINESE. IT'S UP TO THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY.
TEXT: ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" WATCHED MRS.
ALBRIGHT'S TWO DAYS OF TALKS, AND CAME AWAY WITH THE IMPRESSION
THAT SHE WAS JUST ABOUT TOUGH ENOUGH.
VOICE: /// OPT /// [MRS.] ALBRIGHT'S LAMBASTING [SHARP
CRITICISM] OF BEIJING ON HUMAN RIGHTS, IN HER JOINT NEWS
CONFERENCE WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TANG JIAXUAN,
WAS APPROPRIATE. /// END OPT /// BEIJING MUST KNOW THAT
WASHINGTON WILL NEVER ACQUIESCE TO PERSECUTION OF
POLITICAL DISSIDENTS. BUT [MRS.] ALBRIGHT ALSO MADE IT
CLEAR THAT PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WOULD NOT LET SUCH
DEEP PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES STAND IN THE WAY OF
CHINA'S NEGOTIATIONS TO JOIN THE WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION. THAT'S NOT A CONTRADICTION. IN HIS
POLICY OF CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT, [MR.] CLINTON
CONSCIOUSLY AND CORRECTLY SEVERED THE LINKAGE BETWEEN
HUMAN RIGHTS AND TRADE. /// OPT /// MAKING THAT LINKAGE
A CENTERPIECE OF THE U-S-CHINA RELATIONSHIP WOULD HAVE
BEEN SELF-DEFEATING: NO PROGRESS ON ANY OTHER ISSUE
WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE MUST FACE THE
FACT THAT SINO-U-S RELATIONS ARE SLIPPING.
VOICE: ... [THE] ... VISIT ... SERVED TO EMPHASIZE RATHER THAN
EASE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICA'S INTERESTS AND
CHINA'S. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CALLS ITS CHINA
POLICY 'CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT,' BUT THE ARTFUL
AMBIGUITY OF THAT LABEL CAN'T HIDE THE DEEPENING RIFTS
IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. WASHINGTON MUST CONFRONT
THESE DIFFERENCES UNFLINCHINGLY. /// OPT /// ... THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATIONS SAYS IT WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A
'STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP' WITH CHINA. ALL SUCH
PARTNERSHIPS, TO WORK, HAVE TO BE BASED ON SHARED GOALS
AND INTERESTS. THERE IS PRECIOUS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF
THAT IN THE CURRENT RELATIONSHIP. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: FOR ITS PART, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAYS A POLICY OF
U-S HELP FOR CHINA TO JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
PREMATURELY WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE.
VOICE: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A FAN OF HUMAN RIGHTS POLITICS TO
ARGUE THAT THIS ISN'T THE BEST TIME TO GIVE UP A MAJOR
POINT OF LEVERAGE AND REWARD MR. [CHINESE PREMIER ZHU
RONGJI] ZHU WITH A SWEET CARROT. THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT IS NOT ONLY CRACKING DOWN ON ITS OWN PEOPLE
POLITICALLY, ARRESTING MEMBERS OF A NEW OPPOSITION PARTY
AND TIGHTENING CONTROL OVER THE MEDIA. IT'S ALSO
BACKING AWAY FROM THE KEYSTONE OF MARKET REFORMS - -
DE-EMPHASIZING THE STATE SECTOR AND ENCOURAGING THE
GROWTH OF PRIVATE COMPANIES. IT IS RETREATING ON BOTH
FRONTS FOR THE SAME REASON, FEAR OF WORKER UNREST, AND
MR. ZHU HAS BEEN PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
... THE U-S SHOULD STAY ON ITS CURRENT, STEADY COURSE,
OFFERING SUPPORT ONLY WHEN CHINA IS READY TO EMBRACE
W-T-O RULES.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, SUGGESTS "CHINA IS [THE]
TOP PROBLEM FOR U-S FOREIGN POLICY," BUT IT SEEMS PLEASED AT THE
BALANCE SHOWN BY SECRETARY ALBRIGHT IN BEING HARD ON HUMAN
RIGHTS, AND COOPERATIVE ON TRADE.
VOICE: AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA REPLACED
RUSSIA AS THE MOST IMPORTANT BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IN
U-S FOREIGN POLICY. THIS IS NOT A REWARD FOR
NICENESS. RATHER, IT IS RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S IMMENSE
POPULATION, GREAT RESOURCES, DYNAMIC ECONOMIC GROWTH,
PERSISTENT MILITARY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNIST POWER
STRUCTURE, TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS, THIRST FOR OIL AND
NATIONAL PRIDE. THIS RELATIONSHIP CALLS FOR CAREFUL
DEALING, PATIENT DIALOGUE AND COURTEOUS ATTENTION FROM A
STRONG BASE OF U-S INTERESTS AND VALUES.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE PIOUS LECTURES OR MORAL PATRONIZING.
... THE VISIT BY SECRETARY ... ALBRIGHT WAS A VITAL
PART OF THE CONTINUING DIALOGUE. ... GOOD WORKING
RELATIONS WITH CHINA ARE NOT LIKELY TO FEEL GOOD. THEY
ARE, HOWEVER, ESSENTIAL TO U-S NATIONAL INTERESTS AND A
PEACEFUL WORLD.
TEXT: IN MAINE, "THE PORTLAND PRESS HERALD" SUMS UP IT'S
RESERVATIONS ABOUT RELATIONS WITH CHINA THIS WAY:
VOICE: WHILE ENGAGING THE CHINESE ECONOMICALLY MAKES SENSE,
KEEPING SILENT ABOUT CHINA'S DEPLORABLE HUMAN RIGHTS
RECORD DOES NOT. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD CONTINUE TO
HIGHLIGHT BEIJING'S ABUSES. THAT MEANS ALLOWING DEBATE
ON MOST-FAVORED-NATION STATUS TO GO FORWARD ...
TEXT: TODAY'S "BOSTON GLOBE, COUNSELING PATIENCE WITH CHINA,"
BLAMES SOME OF THE SENSE OF CONTENTIOUSNESS AT THE TALKS ON THE
U-S MEDIA'S "APPETITE FOR CONFLICT."
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES NEED NOT MUFFLE ITS CRITICISM OF
BEIJING'S CRACKDOWN ON DISSIDENTS, BUT IT SHOULD NURTURE
A PATIENT AND CONFIDENT EXPECTATION THAT A NEW CHINESE
GENERATION, MOLDED BY THE INTERNET AND THE
ENTREPRENEURIAL PRINCIPLE OF CONSTANT CHANGE, WILL SOON
UNDO THE STRUCTURES OF THE OLD REDS [COMMUNISTS].
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON SECRETARY
ALBRIGHT'S RECENT VISIT TO CHINA.
NEB/ANG/GE
03-Mar-99 2:10 PM EST (1910 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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