• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Title:  ZCZC5 EPU010 (04/02/90)

Date:  19900402

Text:
ZCZC5 EPU010 CDC USI .1 5 UNCLASSIFIED N/A 04/02/90 *

ALL EA WF MONITORING POSTS IMMEDIATE

PACIFIC ISLANDS PROGRAM OFFICE/HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

INFO AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY CAP: USIS PAO/IO FROM P/PFF; AIT FOR CIS SUBJECT: WPOST EDITORIAL ON CHINA POLICY

*EP-U10

04/02/90

(560)

(PERMISSION HAS BEEN OBTAINED COVERING REPUBLICATION IN ENGLISH AND IN TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOWING EDITORIAL BY USIS ONLY. IN ANY REPUBLICATION, CREDIT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED

GE 2 UNCLASSIFIED WITH A NOTE THAT ON April 2, THE WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING EDITORIAL UNDER THE HEADING, "China Policy: Another Setback":

(BEGIN TEXT)

Another setback for the Bush China policy becomes known. The administration had been urging the Chinese leadership to stop shipping missiles into the Middle East and had reported receiving certain assurances that its cautions were being respected. Now, however, eyewitnesses say they have seen truck convoys carrying surface-to- surface short-range ballistic missiles, apparently bound for Iran. These are apparently not the type of intermediate-range missiles the Chinese earlier sold to Saudi Arabia; the potential of these longer-range weapons to be fitted with nuclear or, more immediately, chemical warheads is of special concern. It is troubling, nonetheless, that China declines to give the United States additional assurances about sales of medium-range missiles.

GE 3 UNCLASSIFIED Once again, the Chinese leadership is undermining the extraordinary confidence President Bush has placed it it since its crackdown on democracy demonstrators nearly a year ago.

Many experienced observers of the Chinese scene have concluded that the old Communists currently in charge are yesterday's men. To accomodate precisely this group, however, Mr. Bush has sent high-level delegations, consummated conspicuous high-tech transactions, extended Export-Import Bank operations and taken the high political risk of vetoing the student-visa bill. He recently stated with a hint of chagrin that he wished China had done "more" in response. Still, he believes his policy is "right on tract." Foreign Minister Qian Qichen has thanked him for his efforts to restore normal relations, but in fact Mr. Bush is being trifled with.

Much of the world is going the democratic way. China continues in the opposite direction. In the bellwether human rights case, dissident Fang Lizhi and his wife, who have been in refuge in the American Embassy in Beijing

GE 4 UNCLASSIFIED since last June, are still being told that "admitting guilt" is the "only way out." The army's budget is going up. The economy slows. As the anniversary of the Tiananmen events nears, the authorities are moving to avert new protests.

The calendar is bringing difficult new tests of Chinese-American relations. For instance, China's most- favored-nation tariff status in the United States runs out this spring, and President Bush will be recommending, and Congress will be deciding, what to do next. Foreign Minister Qian warns that lifting MFN would impair trade and cause a "major retrogression" in Chinese-U.S. relations. But it is China's policy of the last year that has already impaired trade and caused a major retrogression in relations. It falls to the Chinese to remove from American deliberations over trade policy and other items the dark shadow cast by their own deeds in Beijing.

(END TEXT)

GE 5 UNCLASSIFIED (PERMISSION HAS BEEN OBTAINED COVERING REPUBLICATION IN ENGLISH AND IN TRANSLATION OF THE PRECEDING EDITORIAL BY USIS ONLY. IN ANY REPUBLICATION, CREDIT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED WITH A NOTE THAT ON April 2, THE WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHED THE PRECEDING EDITORIAL UNDER THE HEADING, "China Policy: Another Setback": NNNN N

File Identification:  EP-U10
PDQ Text Link:  134428