Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

CHINA: "What Do Cox And His Like Want To Do?"

Fu Zhou insisted in official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao, 6/14): "To Cox and his like, as long as China continues with socialism and contradicts the United States, it should be demonized, contained and attacked. Apparently, their objectives are to jeopardize China's development and cause Sino-U.S. relations to retrogress."

"Embassy Attack Explanation Full Of Loopholes"

Huang Qing contended in official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao, 6/12): "Unwilling to serve as a scapegoat, the head of the U.S. National Atlas Bureau laid bare the U.S. lie attributing the attack on the Chinese embassy to 'an outdated map.' The clumsy explanation of the United States for the embassy attack trampled upon not only another country's sovereignty, but the American people's integrity and conscience."

"Embassy Attack Must Be Investigated: Zhang"

Official English-language China Daily carried this item (6/11): "China is waiting for a responsible report from the United States for NATO's missile attack on the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday. 'If the United States sincerely hopes to improve bilateral relations, it should conduct comprehensive, in-depth, just and responsible investigations, and take concrete measures to punish those responsible,' said Zhang during a regular news briefing. 'Only in this way can the United States give the Chinese government and people a satisfactory explanation,' said Zhang."

"U.S. Economic Expansion And Hegemonism"

Xiao Lian contended in official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao, 6/8): "Using political and military hegemonism to pave the way for economic expansion, the United States is exploiting world resources to serve its own national interests... The United States links political issues like human rights with trade so as to impose political pressure and obtain profits.... While advocating a free trade policy, the United States implements trade protectionism, while not allowing others to protect their own trade."

"Enhance National Defense; Oppose Hegemony"

He Xiantu insisted in Science and Technology Daily (Keji Ribao, 6/8): "The bombing of the Chinese embassy demonstrates that the United States has been trying to contain China to prevent it from becoming a strong economic and military power in the 21st century. By pushing the world into a new cold war, the United States hopes to see China repeat the Soviet Union's collapse."

"Choose Permanent NTR"

Qi Wen judged in official English-language China Daily (6/8): "U.S. President Bill Clinton definitely showed a sensible attitude on deciding to extend normal trade relations (NTR) with China for another year. By unreasonably tying in non-trade issues with the annual approval, anti-China forces have tried to distort the meaning of NTR.... To end its unjustifiable obstruction of normal bilateral trade relations, the United States should make China's NTR status permanent as soon as possible."

"Sino-U.S. Rapport Good For World"

Official, English-language China Daily published this Xinhua News Agency item (6/8): "'China will continue to oppose hegemony and, at the same time, to develop its ties with the United States,' Li Zhaoxing, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, said in Washington. The ambassador refuted the 'dirty names' the Cox Report called China, which exposed the hypocrisy of the authors of the report.... 'If they are really concerned about espionage-hunting, why did they not carry out an investigation of how much technology the United States has stolen and illegally gained from China?'"

"Cox's Report: A Written Confession"

Chen Feng asserted in intellectually oriented Guangming Daily (Guangming Ribao, 6/8): "The Cox report unintentionally revealed a big secret: It is the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency that has stolen Chinese nuclear secrets.... Slipping its tentacles into every nook and cranny of the world, the CIA is the biggest thief in the world."

"Cox Report Insults China"

Zhao Huanxin remarked in official, English-language China Daily (6/7): "'Some anti-China politicians in the United States deliberately confuse the technology needed for satellite launch vehicles with that used for missiles, and blur the distinction between necessary coordination and divulgence of sensitive technologies,' said China Aerospace Corp. spokesman Zhang Lihui."

"Nasty Anti-China Farce"

Official Communist Party People's Daily (Renmin Ribao) held (6/4): "Some U.S. congressmen are staging a nasty anti-China farce by focusing on a sensational topic but failing to provide any proof. Lies have short legs. Undoubtedly, the American people will be able to tell right from wrong and reach a responsible conclusion in the end."

"Refuting Slander In Cox Report"

Zhu Zuliang had this to say in official Beijing municipal Beijing Daily (Beijing Ribao, 6/4): "The Cox report exposed the ignorance, arrogance and evil intentions of some Americans, who attempt to jeopardize friendly Sino-U.S. scientific communication and further improvement in bilateral relations. China urges the U.S. government not to hurt the feelings of Chinese people any more...for containment and hostility toward China will definitely go nowhere."

"Read Cox Report For Early Summer Fiction"

Official English-language China Daily had this item (6/4): "'The Cox report contains nothing but conjecture and prevarication. 'It is a deliberate provocation of some U.S. congressmen following the U.S.-led NATO's missile attacks against the Chinese Embassy.'..said Wang Fei, a researcher with the China Defense Science, Technology and Information Center. 'The Cox report claims that China has stolen U.S. nuclear warhead information. That is a lie U.S. politicians have fomented for political purposes,' said Wang."

"Chinese Scientists: Cox Report Slanderous"

Zhao Huanxin intoned in official, English-language China Daily (6/3): "The charges in the Cox report are nothing but fabrications...which serve to slander China, and insult the wisdom and creativeness of Chinese scientists and engineers, three nuclear scientists told China Daily.

"The congressional report exposed 'the pomposity and condescending manner of some Americans, who try to derail Sino-U.S. relations,' the three scientists agreed."

HONG KONG: "WTO Entry A Win-Win Position"

Terry Cheng remarked in the independent Hong Kong Standard (6/9): "State Councilor Wu Yi, who has been closely involved in the WTO talks, reportedly said that Beijing planned to review its position on entering the WTO and might retract some concessions agreed upon after public consultations.... In the interest of the nation, Beijing should not overreact to conflicts with the West, such as NATO's bombing of the embassy or the Cox report's allegations, in order not to impede the open-door policy. The leadership should also try to avoid turning WTO entry into a divisive issue for itself.... In a word, China's membership in the WTO will have a positive impact on the country's national character, its domestic reforms as well as its relations with other countries. Membership will be a win-win situation for China and the international community. Every effort should be taken, by China and Western countries, to secure WTO membership this year on mutually acceptable terms."

"Warm Front For Sino-U.S. Relations"

The independent Hong Kong Standard's editorial maintained (6/7): "Now there's the likelihood that Beijing may agree to receiving in a week or so a U.S. special envoy who will present the results of Washington's investigations into the embassy bombing.... Anything contributing to normalizing Sino-U.S. ties is to the good, especially for Hong Kong, whose fortunes also ride on these relations. But it is unlikely that there will ever be a complete healing any time soon of the wound inflicted by the Belgrade bombing. The central government may wish it were otherwise, but it now has to take into consideration widespread anti-U.S. sentiment.... Despite the good signs of warming Sino-U.S. ties, improvements will probably take some time. Ties will improve, but there will be reservations now about how far they should go."

"U.S. Should Grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations"

The pro-PRC Hong Kong Commercial Daily insisted (6/5): "The United States uses 'the annual renewal' of normal trade relations as a weapon to contain China. Only when the United States responds to China's reasonable requests can China and the United States reach an agreement in WTO negotiations."

"China, U.S. Become Enemies; More Obstacles In Way Of WTO"

Independent Sing Tao Daily News insisted (6/5): "The United States missed an excellent chance to reach an agreement with China when it failed to accept China's conditions during Zhu Rongji's visit in April. Now, even if [the United States and China] resume the negotiations, since both of them have to take politics into consideration, they will not make further concessions. On the contrary, they may withdraw some of the concessions already made. Hence, this will make it more difficult for China to join the WTO."

"WTO Negotiations Will Resume; Sino-U.S. Difficulties Cannot Be Solved"

The independent Hong Kong Economic Times declared (6/5): "The seeds of a cold war have already been sown in the hearts of Americans. In addition, the bombing of the Chinese Embassy has also hurt the hearts of Chinese, arousing anti-U.S. feelings among them. The conflict between the two governments may be solved, based on economic interests. An agreement for China to join the WTO may require both the Chinese and U.S. governments to make concessions. However, if hostile seeds are sown among the people, they will be difficult to remove. Since governments do not want to lose the support of their people, diplomatic policy will be hindered....

"If China and the United States...do not try their best to minimize the hostility of their people toward the other country, this will make the WTO negotiations more difficult. Also, Sino-U.S. relations will develop in an unhealthy direction toward a new cold war."

"Holding Noses For The Sake Of Ties"

Charles Snyder judged in the independent Hong Kong Standard (6/4): "Sino-U.S. relations have sunk to a level that may become the norm for some time to come.... The saving grace for Sino-U.S. ties is that the United States and China both have enough national interests and needs in common that they have to work together.... So they must hold their noses and fight through the mutual stench to accomplish their common goals. Eventually, the stench will subside. But the fresh air may not replace it any time soon."

JAPAN: "China 10 Years After Tiananmen"

Liberal Asahi's editorial stressed (6/4): "The international community still vividly remembers the Chinese military crackdown on those who gathered at the square protesting political corruption and seeking democratization and human rights. During the incident, Chinese soldiers took down a statue, resembling the Statue of Liberty, which had been built by Chinese art students. Ten years later, it is ironic that Chinese students were throwing stones and other objects at the American Embassy in Beijing, a mission of the United States which is symbolized by the Statue of Liberty..... The mistaken NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade occurred at a time when the Chinese were becoming more confident of their country. In the past, the United States criticized China's abuse of human rights. Now, Chinese intellectuals criticize the NATO bombing as American 'human rights' diplomacy. Many Chinese remain unconvinced of the American explanation that NATO mistakenly bombed the Chinese Embassy by using an outdated map of Belgrade. Anti-American feelings will intensify in China if the United States fails to disclose the truth of that mistaken bombing."

"China's Dilemma 10 Years After Tiananmen Square Incident"

An editorial in top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri observed (6/4): "Economic growth in China, ten years after the Tiananmen Square incident, has slowed down and faces difficult problems affected by the Asian economic crisis. It is reported that Chinese conservatives strongly oppose the further market opening of their country in exchange for its admission to the WTO. Beijing appears to be on the horns of a dilemma over the issue. To make matters more complicated, relations between the United States and China have soured."

AUSTRALIA: "10 Years After Tiananmen"

An editorial in the business-oriented Australian Financial Review held (6/4): "Critics [in the U.S. Congress]...are today insisting that nothing has changed since the awful spiral into panicked violence ten years ago. However, a great deal has changed, not least the present target of a different generation of student anger and protests. Today it is the Americans, whose Statue of Liberty inspired the Goddess of Freedom sculpture, which formed a focus for the Tiananmen protests."

INDONESIA: "10th Anniversary Of Tiananmen And Democratization In Asia"

Leading, independent Kompas emphasized (6/4): "Amid waves of change in Asia, the Chinese Communist government remains. The government is fortunate that China has not been affected by the Asian economic crisis.... It is hoped that the West will take part in the peaceful drive to support the birth of liberal democracy...in China."

MACAU: "Strengthen National Power To Cope With Changes"

Pro-PRC Macau Daily News featured this editorial (6/2): "People like Cox have hegemonism and Cold War ideology in their minds. They do not see the peaceful nature of the Chinese social system and China's peaceful diplomacy. Instead, they regard China as the biggest 'opponent' of the United States after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and want to 'contain' China. While the administration is carrying out a comprehensive engagement policy with China, they are still using methods of 'restriction' (against China) and a new NATO-style Pacific strategic concept--extending the peripheral area of the U.S.-Japan Security Guidelines and considering including Taiwan in the Theater Missile Defense system. All these factors have made it difficult for the administration to draw distinctions with the extreme anti-China group. Hence, the United States and China have frequent conflicts, dragging their relations to the bottom."

MALAYSIA: "South Must Stand Up For Its Rights"

In the view of the government-influenced Business Times (6/1): "Let's face it. China's admission into the World Trade Organization (WTO), if it happens, will not depend on how committed Beijing is to trade liberalization. The United States, not the WTO, holds the key to China's membership, and what it takes is for Beijing to satisfy the Americans on a bilateral level.... The primary concern is that China opens up to the United States.... The United States, as the sole superpower, does everything and is allowed to do so.... If the global community is interested in a just world, it must call for a new arrangement. The burden of policing the world must be shared, and not lumped squarely on the shoulders of the Americans.... China's admission to the WTO...should be decided democratically, not by the United States or the European Union..... The G-7 should not continue to shut its door on the South and at the same time harbor a wish to continue dominating the economic agenda for the world.... But the key change lies not in the North, but in the majority South. They have to stop thinking and acting like Third World elements. They have to stand up for their rights and speak for the rights of others as well."

NORTH KOREA: "U.S. Talk About China's 'Nuclear Secrets Theft'"

The Korean Central News Agency's (KCNA) Internet version carried this piece (6/8): "The United States' much ado about 'China's theft of U.S. nuclear secrets' is a revelation of 'persecution mania,' says [North Korean Worker's newspaper] Rodong Sinmun today.... The United States has a wrong viewpoint that only it has the right to develop up-to-date technology, and its military science and technology are superior to others.... Now lost in 'persecution mania,' the United States does not bother to describe 'exchanges and cooperation' that have been under way as part of the efforts to build [the] 'strategic partnership,' but rather as 'theft of secrets.' The United States is well advised not to waste time searching other countries' nuclear facilities, but [should] exert more efforts to take measures for the elimination of its nuclear weapons, as demanded by humankind."

PHILIPPINES: "Signs Of Democracy In China?"

Former presidential spokesman Jesus Sison pointed out in independent Malaya (6/9): "On the tenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, there was a big crowd in Hong Kong.... This signals the growing number of democracy believers in China. As a matter of fact, international media is warning Asia and the world about possible social unrest in China due to militant democracy activists. If this happens, the economy of China will again deteriorate and this will be a big problem of the people of Asia and the world."

"Tiananmen, 10 Years After"

The independent, conservative Philippine Star declared (6/4): "Filipinos join the rest of the free world in remembering those who gave up their lives for freedom ten years ago in Tiananmen. Coming to terms with this atrocity will be a major step for China on the road to reform."

SINGAPORE: "Are Sino-American Relations Beyond Repair?"

The pro-government Business Times featured this editorial page commentary (6/3) by Washington Correspondent Leon Hadar: "No one in Washington, not even the staunchest China basher, expects that China and the United States would be fighting a hot or cold war soon. Nevertheless, there are concerns that unless the leaders in Washington and Beijing move swiftly to bring a new balance into the relationship, and among other things, get China to refrain from vetoing an expected United Nations Security Council resolution on Kosovo and win U.S. support for Chinese accession into the WTO, things could get out of hand. As a result, a vicious circle of diplomatic crises and economic tensions would end up dominating the relationship that is bound to be central to the global balance of power in the 21st century. In such a dangerous environment, a minor incident, say collision between Chinese and American warships in the Pacific, or a major disagreement, say over how to deal with a breakup of Indonesia, could escalate into a military confrontation."

TAIWAN: "Aftermath Of Cox Report"

According to an editorial in the liberal, pro-independence Taiwan Daily (5/31): "The release of the Cox report will naturally have an unfavorable impact on Washington-Beijing ties. The 'constructive strategic partnership' must be re-evaluated, and both the U.S. Congress and administration will have to adopt a more prudent attitude toward future technology and military exchanges with China.... However, except for the conflicts between the two countries, they still share certain common interests. It is therefore illusory for Taiwan to expect that Washington-Beijing ties will deteriorate from now on. The benefits that Taiwan can get from this cooling stage of Washington-Beijing ties are also very limited.... Taiwan should not expect to buy military technology or weapons that are powerful enough to compete with an international nuclear power like Beijing. If the international and cross-strait situation in the next ten to 20 years is what we predict above, Taiwan should start reviewing and adjusting its cross-strait policies as early as possible."

THAILAND: "Thought Of Sino-U.S. Clash Sends Shivers Down One's Spine"

Cafe Dam commented in elite, business-oriented Krungthep Turakij (6/4): "Asked if China is indignant to be accused of human rights violations, military secret thefts, and by the bombing of its Belgrade embassy. Yes, certainly.... But today's China has become more mature, and it is trade and economic matters that have taken priority over communist ideology in its struggle with the West. One may therefore take it for granted that China will try to prevent these new conflicts from degenerating into a new Cold War. But all also depends on the United States to tone down its prejudices against China."

"China Cannot Erase 1989 'Beijing Spring'"

The lead editorial of the independent, English-language Nation stressed (6/4): "While economic reforms have moved forward at a speedy pace, basic political reforms remain at a snail's pace. The call for political reforms during Tiananmen is sadly no longer heard--which explains the irony that despite many Chinese having more money in their pockets, they are still denied some of the fundamental rights that every citizen of any country should have.... Like it or not, the Tiananmen uprising will continue to haunt party leaders as long as there is no genuine desire to learn its lessons.

"In the end, the communist leadership will become China's own worst enemy. Indeed, China's status in the world--not the chauvinistic version of the Middle Kingdom--will not be judged by the height of its skyscrapers or the number of department stores it has, but...by how its citizens are being treated and respected."

VIETNAM: "Behind The Cox Report"

The lead editorial of Sai Gon Giai Phong (Saigon Liberated, the mouthpiece of Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Party) contended (5/29): "We cannot help but realize some 'coincidences' in this espionage [case.] Right before President Zhu Rongji planned to visit the United States in April to call for U.S backing for China to the WTO, the United States had made a big fuss about Wen Lee Ho's case and made it an excuse to deny its help. Recently , while the Chinese people strongly opposed the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy [in Belgrade,] the United States released the report of the Cox Committee, which should have been kept as a secret document in the U.S Congress. In fact, this is nothing but a warning that the United States always has its own motives for causing adverse reactions to its opponents."

SOUTH ASIA

INDIA: "New Debate On U.S.-Sino Relations Reflects Beijing's Fears"

The centrist Hindu (6/15) had this analysis by its strategic affairs editor, C. Raja Mohan: "It is the United States that now looms large over Sino-Indian relations. The Chinese references to the creation of a 'multipolar world' and the renewed emphasis here against 'global hegemony' reflect a new wrenching debate here on how China should cope with the extraordinary weight of the United States in the international system.... There is no doubt that the recent difficulties in the relations between Beijing and Washington have had an important role in enthusing the Chinese leadership to accelerate the process of normalizing relations with India.... A series of developments have begun to test the credibility of the Sino-U.S. strategic partnership. The renewal of U.S. military alliances in Asia, most notably with Japan and Australia, the new American engagement with North Korea and its dominance in promoting reconciliation in the Korean peninsula, and fresh U.S. military arrangements in Southeast Asia have raised fears in China of a 'westward progress' of the United States in containing China....

"At the global level, China has been put off by the U.S. action in Kosovo...[which] has raised the specter of the unconstrained assertion of the U.S. power anywhere in the world. Apart from the perceived threats to its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, Beijing has been alarmed by the rising anti-China feelings in Washington marked most recently by the allegations of Chinese nuclear spying. The U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, in one accidental stroke, crystallized all these fears into a new debate on relations with the United States.... As it rethinks the global setting, China is seeking to limit U.S. dominance worldwide and prevent the emergence of a hostile U.S.-led coalition against it. As a consequence, China is stressing the importance of a 'multipolar world' and looking for new friends who can stand up against the United States.... India and China must indeed look for common political space on various international issues. At the same time, both of them do understand the significance of avoiding confrontation with the United States...and the importance of sustaining broad-based interaction with Washington."

"Test Ban Test"

In the editorial view of the centrist Times of India (6/3): "Following the publication of the bipartisan Cox committee report on Chinese nuclear espionage in the United States, Sino-U.S. relations would appear to have suffered the greatest setback since 1979 when the two countries established diplomatic relations....

"At this stage it is difficult to predict the full impact of the Cox committee report on U.S. pubic opinion, which is notoriously volatile and easily manipulable. Since President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore are considered 'pro-Chinese' because of Beijing's alleged financial contributions to their election campaign, the Republicans are bound to politicize the issue in the forthcoming presidential race in which Mr. Gore is expected to be a candidate.... The new situation arising out of the Cox...report raises serious doubts about whether the CTBT would get even simple majority support in the Senate. The demand from legislators will be to widen the nuclear technological gap between the United States and China, and that if more nuclear tests are needed, the United States should not hesitate to conduct them. In these circumstances, the fate of the CTBT and its ratification appear to be extremely doubtful."

EUROPE

BRITAIN: "Tiananmen And After"

The conservative Times contended (6/4): "China is still affected by the national trauma of Tiananmen--and will be, as many even within China's Communist Party believe, until its leaders give a credible account of what happened and reverse their official condemnation.... True stability will come to China as and when it develops the checks and balances, including respect for human rights and equality under the law, that prevent abuses of power. That was what a million mostly young people called for at Tiananmen. It is for this that, in China and the world, they are remembered today."

"China's Square Of Shame"

The lead editorial in the independent Financial Times observed (6/3): "Ten years after it happened, the massacre of students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square still haunts China's government and people alike. While the country's leaders find it impossible to admit responsibility or that the slaughter of democracy activists was wrong, for many ordinary Chinese the event lives on as a symbol of an oppressive and capricious rule that bears no respect for human rights.... Only when its political evolution is complete will China finally be able to come to terms with Tiananmen. In the meantime, it is right to criticize injustice and abuse where they are found, but critics must also recognize progress where it occurs. It is in the world's interest that a stable China eventually be integrated fully into the world community. That requires not just recrimination for past and present misdeeds, but encouragement on a journey that still promises to be long and painful."

FRANCE: "Sad Anniversary"

Left-of-center Le Monde asserted (6/4): "The Chinese government is still paralyzed by the thought of political openness. It still jails demonstrators and dissidents, banishing the most famous.... This reminds one of the worst of the era of the Soviet Union. Beijing is trying to protect itself from a wave of popular demands, triggered by the recent boost in social inequalities as a result of the decade's economic growth. But this type of reaction is destined to fail, or worse, to breed greater ills. It is time China, which believes it should be part of the leading nations of the 21st century, understood this."

ITALY: "An Uncomfortable But Necessary Partner"

Ugo Tramballi penned this analysis for leading business Il Sole-24 Ore (6/3): "Ten years after Tiananmen, there is a new clash in China between reformists and conservatives.... Obsessed by their own security...the Chinese...believe that there is a single, huge plot against them. Many in Beijing believe that the war against Serbia is a pretext to aggression against China in Tibet....

"Perhaps the exaggerated tones adopted by Chinese leaders, the suspicion that the United States may seek not the 'strategic partnership' proposed by Clinton, but the containment of China...are part of a subtle strategy to overshadow, within China and abroad, the difficult Tiananmen anniversary. China will never be a comfortable partner. But we are obliged to seek its collaboration."

BELGIUM: "China Would Never Be The Same Again"

Asian affairs writer Freddy De Pauw put forth this view in independent Catholic De Standaard (6/4): "After Tienanmen 1989, Deng Xiaoping's first instruction to the new party leader, Jiang Zemin, was to give absolute priority to economic growth in order to restore the party's legitimacy. In other words--make the people happy with wealth instead of political reforms. The Chinese leaders have also learned that it is better to prevent than to heal and, since Tiananmen, they have more often offered a listening ear so that they can implement corrections in time. That is probably the reason why Jiang Zemin forbade the army leadership last year from diong 'business'--to make his campaign against corruption credible. That can work so long as the economic benefits are delivered. In recent times, however, the Chinese are living in increasing uncertainty. Anyway, the Chinese leaders will undoubtedly utter a sigh of relief if June 4, 1999 passes away without any incidents worth mentioning."

"Sino-U.S. Ties At Lowest Ebb"

Philippe Paquet observed in conservative Catholic La Libre Belgique (6/4): "While so many things have changed in China since the Tiananmen events, it is remarkable that, today as then, U.S.-China relations are at their lowest. Titillating detail--the military cooperation which had been suspended in June 1989 to sanction the Popular Liberation Army's behavior, is in limbo again, this time at Beijing's initiative."

HUNGARY: "American Security And Chinese Spies"

Conservative Napi Magyarorszag featured this piece (6/11) by Washington contributor Hanna Kuliffay, who stressed: "China has practically maintained the most recent military secrets, including the next century's nuclear and thermonuclear technologies from poorly controlled U.S. labs. It is now a matter of time for China to fine-tune and upgrade its intercontinental missile arsenal directed at the megalopolises of the United States."

"Tiananmen And Realpolitik"

Peter Varkonyi maintained in influential Magyar Hirlap (6/4): "The world is a realpolitician. It calculates with an empire that has a population over one and a half a billion, an incomparably unique market, and is a significant Asian nuclear potential. But for those who take human rights and democracy really seriously Tiananmen Square remains a symbol."

SPAIN: "Tienanmen Ten Years Later"

Liberal El Pais commented (6/3): "Although China has changed much over the past 20 years...President Jiang Zemin has declared that the Chinese will never have a Western-style democracy.... The regime's lack of transparency will not permit any fissures in the walls surrounding the Communist Party's hold on power. But it is obvious that economic progress could produce colossal political pressures, while the decline of Marxist ideology and widespread corruption undermine the foundations upon which the regime's power rests. The official communications media warn the citizenry against any attempt at commemorating the tenth anniversary of Tienanmen.... Yesterday's People's Daily inveighed against 'attempts by hostile forces to infiltrate, undermine, and divide China.'

"The very prose employed reveals the magnitude of the disconnect being suffered by China between an economy and society in transformation and a political system marked by obscurantism."

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL: "No Forgetting Tiananmen"

The independent Jerusalem Post indicated (6/6): "China's ludicrous attempts to make sure the government's massacre of its young democrats in Tiananmen Square is never remembered instead helps to ensure that it is never forgotten. Beijing should know, and be constantly reminded, that the world has not forgotten and will not forget. It should know, too, that a day of justice will come.... To this day, China continues to 'round up the usual suspects' on the anniversary. The real suspects are still in power."

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6/15/99

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