DATE=04/09/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11234
TITLE=U-S / CHINA / ZHU VISIT
BYLINE=GARY EDQUIST
TELEPHONE=619-2702
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO THE
UNITED STATES. THURSDAY, PREMIER ZHU HELD TALKS WITH PRESIDENT
CLINTON. WE GET A SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE
VISIT AND THE STATUS OF U-S - CHINESE RELATIONS FROM ____________
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE TALKS BETWEEN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND PREMIER ZHU
FOCUSED ON DISPUTES OVER TRADE, HUMAN RIGHTS, TAIWAN AND NUCLEAR
ISSUES. THEY AGREED THAT THEY EXPECT CHINA TO BE ALLOWED INTO
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION BY THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WERE
UNABLE TO SETTLE REMAINING DIFFERENCES. THE PORTLAND (MAINE)
PRESS HERALD HEADLINES ITS EDITORIAL, "SOME THINGS (ARE) MORE
VITAL THAN TRADE WITH CHINA."
VOICE: CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO BE HELD BACK, CONTRIBUTING TO THE
ECONOMIC TURMOIL OF THE REGION, AS LONG AS IT VIOLATES
ITS PEOPLE'S MOST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. THE 'STRATEGIC
RELATIONSHIP' OF WHICH (PRESIDENT) CLINTON AND (PREMIER)
ZHU SPOKE ON THURSDAY WILL BE HOLLOW WITHOUT A CHINESE
COMMITMENT TO ENDING THOSE VIOLATIONS, AND UPHOLDING
THOSE RIGHTS.
TEXT: THE BOSTON GLOBE ADVISES THAT ONE TOPIC THAT NEEDS TO BE
NEAR THE TOP OF ANY LIST WITH THE CHINESE "IS THE TRUE SCANDAL OF
1996 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY DIRECTED INTO
DEMOCRATIC (PARTY) COFFERS BY BEIJING'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
CHIEF." THE GLOBE WRITES THAT THIS ISSUE IS A "TRUE SCANDAL"
BECAUSE OF THE "SPECTACLE OF A WHITE HOUSE OPEN TO POLITICAL
PAYOFFS FROM BEIJING." THE GLOBE EDITORIAL CONCLUDES:
VOICE: AT PRESENT, NO BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IS AS CRUCIAL TO
U-S INTERESTS AS THAT WITH CHINA. WASHINGTON HAS AN
ENORMOUS STAKE IN BEIJING MAKING A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO
A FREE MARKET DEMOCRACY. THE INEVITABLE POLITICAL FUROR
KICKED UP BY THE SCANDAL OVER BEIJING'S CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS CAN ONLY SET BACK THE CRUCIAL US - CHINA
RELATIONSHIP. BOTH SIDES NEED TO PREVENT ANY RECURRENCE
OF THIS BLUNDER.
TEXT: THE NEW YORK TIMES IS CONCERNED WITH ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE
U-S - CHINESE RELATIONSHIP, SUSPICIONS THAT CHINA MAY HAVE
OBTAINED U-S NUCLEAR WEAPONS SECRETS.
VOICE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING OVER HUMAN
RIGHTS, KOSOVO AND CHINESE ADMISSION TO THE WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION WERE ALREADY CASTING A SHADOW OVER THIS
WEEK'S VISIT TO AMERICA BY PREMIER ZHU. THEN CAME A NEW
REPORT THURSDAY (IN THE NEW YORK TIMES) THAT CHINA MAY
HAVE STOLEN NEUTRON BOMB SECRETS FROM THE UNITED STATES
DURING MR. CLINTON'S FIRST TERM (IN OFFICE). ... THE
PROBLEM IS NOT MERELY THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO AMERICAN
SECURITY. AS TROUBLING IS EVIDENCE ... THAT TOP WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY SAMUEL 'SANDY' BERGER, NOW
THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, REACTED LETHARGICALLY
WHEN THE FIRST ALARMS WERE SOUNDED ABOUT THE SUSPECTED
SPYING.
TEXT: THE NEW YORK POST IS ALSO WRITING ABOUT ALLEGATIONS THAT
CHINA STOLE U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS, CLAIMING IN ITS EDITORIAL
HEADLINE THAT "THE CLINTONITES LIE ABOUT CHINA."
VOICE: WHEN REPORTS LAST MONTH DETAILED HOW THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO ACT DECISIVELY ON LEARNING OF
CHINA'S WIDESPREAD EFFORTS TO STEAL U-S NUCLEAR
TECHNOLOGY, THE WHITE HOUSE TOOK GREAT PAINS TO STRESS
THAT THE ACTUAL SPYING HAPPENED IN THE REAGAN / BUSH
YEARS. NOW IT TURNS OUT THAT CHINA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL
ESPIONAGE OPERATION -- THE THEFT OF U-S SECRETS ON THE
DEADLY NEUTRON BOMB -- TOOK PLACE ENTIRELY ON BILL
CLINTON'S WATCH (I.E. TERM IN OFFICE). ... THE EVIDENCE
IS MOUNTING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO COMPREHEND
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION -- AND THEN TRIED
DESPERATELY TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG.
TEXT: NEWSDAY (ON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK) IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT
THE SAFETY OF U-S - NUCLEAR SECRETS FROM CHINESE SPYING, NOTING
THAT SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED NOT TO USE "THE MOST SECURE
COMPUTERS AT THE NATION'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS LABORATORIES." NEWSDAY
WRITES:
VOICE: WITH CHINA'S PRIME MINISTER ZHU VISITING THE UNITED
STATES AND WASHINGTON ABUZZ WITH ALLEGATIONS THAT
BEIJING HAS STOLEN U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS, THE (COMPUTER)
SHUTDOWN SENDS TWO IMPORTANT MESSAGES. TO (PREMIER) ZHU:
FROM NOW ON IT WILL BE TOUGHER TO SMUGGLE CLASSIFIED
MATERIAL OUT OF LOS ALAMOS (NEW MEXICO) AND THE OTHER
WEAPONS LABS. TO THE LABS' RESEARCHERS: LIKE IT OR NOT,
SECURITY MEASURES ARE GOING TO BE TIGHTER FROM NOW ON.
... EVEN IF THE CHINESE DIDN'T SPY SUCCESSFULLY,
WASHINGTON HAS TO ASSUME THEY WERE TRYING TO.
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT.
NEB/GE/RRM
09-Apr-99 12:15 PM EDT (1615 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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