DATE=5/29/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=JIANG-CLINTON (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262918
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China's official news agency says Chinese
President Jiang Zemin called President Clinton Sunday
night to thank him for shepherding crucial trade
legislation through the U-S House of Representatives
last week. VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison reports
the bill grants Beijing's exports permanent low-tariff
access to the US market, an action Mr. Jiang says will
improve Sino-U-S relations.
TEXT: China's Xinhua news agency says Mr. Jiang spoke
with Mr. Clinton over the Beijing-to-Washington "hot
line" through which the two men occasionally
communicate. Xinhua says Mr. Jiang told Mr. Clinton
he appreciates the efforts to get the bill passed,
made by what he called "people of insight", including
the U-S President and legislators from both the
Democratic and Republican parties. But Xinhua also
quotes Mr. Jiang as saying that the legislation
contains some articles that China cannot accept, a
reference to provisions establishing a commission to
examine human rights violations in China.
The Clinton Administration says including those
provisions in the bill was necessary to obtain the
support of wavering House Democrats, who were
reluctant to give up an annual debate on renewing
China's trade privileges. The legislation now moves
to the Senate, where it is expected to pass without
the controversy that surrounded the House vote.
Xinhua says Mr. Clinton told the Chinese leader that
his administration will work to secure Senate approval
as quickly as possible. The news agency says Mr.
Clinton agreed with Mr. Jiang that allowing Chinese
goods permanent low-tariff access to the U-S market
will strengthen the relationship between the two
countries.
Xinhua quotes Mr. Jiang as saying that Sino-U-S
relations have experienced ups and downs over the past
eight years but that, on the whole, they have been
steadily improving. Still, the Chinese president
emphasized that the key to even better relations is
what he called the proper handling of the Taiwan
issue.
Even though the United States recognizes China's claim
to Taiwan, it is also committed by law to help the
island defend itself against a Chinese attack. China
has long insisted that Washington should not interfere
in what Beijing views as a purely domestic matter and
demands that the United States halt all arms sales to
Taiwan. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC/PLM
29-May-2000 05:15 AM EDT (29-May-2000 0915 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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