DATE=9/9/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-U-S (L-O)
NUMBER=2-253640
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China says its relationship with the United
States has improved, as President Clinton and Chinese
President Jiang Zemin prepare to meet (Saturday) at an
Asian economic summit in New Zealand. But -- as V-O-
A's Stephanie Ho reports -- a Chinese spokesman
repeated Beijing's calls for Washington to provide
what he called a more-satisfactory answer for the May
seventh bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.
TEXT: Washington and Beijing had been moving closer.
President Clinton visited China last year and Chinese
President Jiang went to the United States in 1997.
However, ties between the two countries turned sour
four months ago, after U-S missiles destroyed the
Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia. Washington says the
bombing was accidental, but Beijing says it is not
satisfied with that explanation.
At a regular news briefing Thursday, Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi -- speaking through an
interpreter -- indicated relations between the two
countries are starting to get better.
// SUN / INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //
We have taken note that recently, the atmosphere for
China-U-S relations have somewhat improved.
// END ACTUALITY //
The Chinese spokesman added his government still wants
Washington to do more to make up for the bombing of
China's mission in Belgrade. He says the United
States must punish the perpetrators and give what he
says is a more satisfactory account to the Chinese
people.
Still, Mr. Sun pointed to the resumption of talks on
China's entry into the World Trade Organization as one
sign of improvement.
U-S Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and
China's Minister of Foreign Trade, Shi Guangsheng, are
discussing the W-T-O issue on the sidelines of a
regional economic meeting in New Zealand.
The Chinese spokesman refused to say what China sees
as the next step.
// SUN / INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //
It is very hard for me to make predictions about the
prospects of the negotiations.
// END ACTUALITY //
When Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited the United
States in April, the two sides were close, but failed
to clinch, a W-T-O deal. Not only did the U-S
government finally reject the Chinese proposal, it
further angered Beijing by publicizing the proposed
Chinese concessions.
Following the May bombing of the Chinese embassy in
Belgrade, Beijing began to make noises that it was
preparing to back down from some of the more ambitious
offers.
A spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Trade
Thursday threw cold water on U-S demands that the
country make even further concessions. He maintained
that China still wants to be admitted into the W-T-O
under the easier terms accorded developing nations and
will insist on its own stand. (signed)
NEB/HO/ wd
09-Sep-1999 06:15 AM LOC (09-Sep-1999 1015 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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