DATE=03/03/99 TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST / OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11173 TITLE=U-S CHINA RELATIONS WORSEN BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT'S TRIP TO CHINA, PREPARING THE WAY FOR A STATE VISIT NEXT MONTH TO WASHINGTON OF PREMIER ZHU RONGJI, HAS FOCUSED THE ATTENTION ON THE STATE OF SINO-U-S RELATIONS. MANY U-S EDITORIALISTS FEEL THEY ARE WORSENING, AS THE CHINESE STEP UP THEIR PERSECUTION OF PRO-DEMOCRACY DISSENTERS. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP FROM ______________. TEXT: DURING MRS. ALBRIGHT'S BEIJING TRIP THIS WEEK SHE EXCHANGED BARBED COMMENTS WITH HER HOSTS ABOUT CHINA'S RECENT JAILING OF SEVERAL DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES. THOSE EXCHANGES HAVE AGAIN CALLED INTO QUESTION THE CLINTON POLICY OF SEPARATING HUMAN RIGHTS FROM TRADE ISSUES. THERE IS ALSO CONCERN ABOUT CHINA'S CONTINUED ARMS SALES TO COUNTRIES THE UNITED STATES DEEMS TERRORIST SUPPORTERS, AND THE FACT THAT BILL CLINTON IS HAVING TROUBLE -- ACCORDING TO "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" -- "FINDING SOMEONE TO BE AMBASSADOR TO CHINA." IN "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER," SENIOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST TRUDY RUBIN TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF DEALING WITH CHINA, AND THE NEED FOR PATIENCE TO ASSESS WHAT SHE FEELS IS SLOW PROGRESS. VOICE: OUR [THE U-S] CHINA DEBATE SAYS MORE ABOUT OUR OWN CONFUSION SINCE THE COLD WAR THAN IT DOES ABOUT CHINA. TOO MANY POLITICIANS WANT TO DEFINE U-S -CHINA AS A ZERO-SUM GAME: EITHER THEY ARE WITH US, MARCHING STRAIGHT AHEAD TO DEMOCRACY AND PARTNERSHIP, OR THEY ARE 'AGIN' [SLANG FOR: AGAINST] US. /// OPT /// IN THE WORLDS OF NOTED ASIA EXPERT ROBERT MANNING, 'WE HAVE TROUBLE [MAKING CHINA POLICY] WHEN THINGS ARE GRAY.' [MR.] MANNING THINKS THAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TRAPPED ITSELF BY OVERSELLING CHINA POLICY. 'CHINA IS NEITHER FRIEND NOR FOE, BUT AN EMERGING GREAT POWER ...' ... NO DOUBT ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FEARED THAT IF THEY DIDN'T HYPE [EXTOL] THE IMMINENCE OF DEMOCRACY, THE CHINA-BASHERS WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY [SLANG: SUCCEED] /// END OPT /// ... CHINA IS CHANGING DAILY. EVEN THOUGH SOME DISSIDENTS ARE ARRESTED, CHINESE ARE CONSTANTLY GAINING MORE LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS. VILLAGE ELECTIONS, LEGAL REFORMS, MORE USE OF THE INTERNET (DESPITE CONTROLS), MORE JOURNALS AND NEWSPAPERS, WILL BUILD INTERNAL PRESSURE FOR CHANGE. TEXT: IN THE MIDWEST, "THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD" BRINGS UP YET ANOTHER SORE POINT IN RELATIONS. VOICE: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS ASSUMED A STERNER ATTITUDE TOWARD CHINA IN RECENT DAYS, AN APPROPRIATE CHANGE OF PACE IN VIEW OF CHINA'S WORSENING HUMAN-RIGHTS SITUATION AND ITS ILLEGAL ATTEMPTS TO HARVEST CLASSIFIED AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY. /// OPT /// A SERIOUS CONCERN IN RECENT YEARS HAD BEEN THAT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS SOFT ON CHINA BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL DONATIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES TO THE 1996 CLINTON RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE CHINA CONNECTION HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY EXPLAINED OR INVESTIGATED. ... HOWEVER ... SECRETARY OF STATE ... ALBRIGHT WAS ANYTHING BUT MEEK AS SHE STRONGLY URGED CHINESE OFFICIALS TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS AND STOP SUPPRESSING FREE EXPRESSION. /// END OPT /// ... A WIDENING RIFT WITH CHINA WOULD BE A BLOW TO SOME U-S BUSINESS INTERESTS ... BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT AN ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT LEVERAGE TO PROTECT ITS INTERESTS IN DEALING WITH THE CHINESE. IT'S UP TO THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY. TEXT: ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" WATCHED MRS. ALBRIGHT'S TWO DAYS OF TALKS, AND CAME AWAY WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE WAS JUST ABOUT TOUGH ENOUGH. VOICE: /// OPT /// [MRS.] ALBRIGHT'S LAMBASTING [SHARP CRITICISM] OF BEIJING ON HUMAN RIGHTS, IN HER JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TANG JIAXUAN, WAS APPROPRIATE. /// END OPT /// BEIJING MUST KNOW THAT WASHINGTON WILL NEVER ACQUIESCE TO PERSECUTION OF POLITICAL DISSIDENTS. BUT [MRS.] ALBRIGHT ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WOULD NOT LET SUCH DEEP PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES STAND IN THE WAY OF CHINA'S NEGOTIATIONS TO JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION. THAT'S NOT A CONTRADICTION. IN HIS POLICY OF CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT, [MR.] CLINTON CONSCIOUSLY AND CORRECTLY SEVERED THE LINKAGE BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS AND TRADE. /// OPT /// MAKING THAT LINKAGE A CENTERPIECE OF THE U-S-CHINA RELATIONSHIP WOULD HAVE BEEN SELF-DEFEATING: NO PROGRESS ON ANY OTHER ISSUE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. /// END OPT /// TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE MUST FACE THE FACT THAT SINO-U-S RELATIONS ARE SLIPPING. VOICE: ... [THE] ... VISIT ... SERVED TO EMPHASIZE RATHER THAN EASE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICA'S INTERESTS AND CHINA'S. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CALLS ITS CHINA POLICY 'CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT,' BUT THE ARTFUL AMBIGUITY OF THAT LABEL CAN'T HIDE THE DEEPENING RIFTS IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. WASHINGTON MUST CONFRONT THESE DIFFERENCES UNFLINCHINGLY. /// OPT /// ... THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATIONS SAYS IT WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A 'STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP' WITH CHINA. ALL SUCH PARTNERSHIPS, TO WORK, HAVE TO BE BASED ON SHARED GOALS AND INTERESTS. THERE IS PRECIOUS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THAT IN THE CURRENT RELATIONSHIP. /// END OPT /// TEXT: FOR ITS PART, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAYS A POLICY OF U-S HELP FOR CHINA TO JOIN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION PREMATURELY WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE. VOICE: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A FAN OF HUMAN RIGHTS POLITICS TO ARGUE THAT THIS ISN'T THE BEST TIME TO GIVE UP A MAJOR POINT OF LEVERAGE AND REWARD MR. [CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI] ZHU WITH A SWEET CARROT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS NOT ONLY CRACKING DOWN ON ITS OWN PEOPLE POLITICALLY, ARRESTING MEMBERS OF A NEW OPPOSITION PARTY AND TIGHTENING CONTROL OVER THE MEDIA. IT'S ALSO BACKING AWAY FROM THE KEYSTONE OF MARKET REFORMS - - DE-EMPHASIZING THE STATE SECTOR AND ENCOURAGING THE GROWTH OF PRIVATE COMPANIES. IT IS RETREATING ON BOTH FRONTS FOR THE SAME REASON, FEAR OF WORKER UNREST, AND MR. ZHU HAS BEEN PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. ... THE U-S SHOULD STAY ON ITS CURRENT, STEADY COURSE, OFFERING SUPPORT ONLY WHEN CHINA IS READY TO EMBRACE W-T-O RULES. /// OPT /// TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, SUGGESTS "CHINA IS [THE] TOP PROBLEM FOR U-S FOREIGN POLICY," BUT IT SEEMS PLEASED AT THE BALANCE SHOWN BY SECRETARY ALBRIGHT IN BEING HARD ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND COOPERATIVE ON TRADE. VOICE: AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA REPLACED RUSSIA AS THE MOST IMPORTANT BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IN U-S FOREIGN POLICY. THIS IS NOT A REWARD FOR NICENESS. RATHER, IT IS RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S IMMENSE POPULATION, GREAT RESOURCES, DYNAMIC ECONOMIC GROWTH, PERSISTENT MILITARY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNIST POWER STRUCTURE, TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS, THIRST FOR OIL AND NATIONAL PRIDE. THIS RELATIONSHIP CALLS FOR CAREFUL DEALING, PATIENT DIALOGUE AND COURTEOUS ATTENTION FROM A STRONG BASE OF U-S INTERESTS AND VALUES. IT DOES NOT REQUIRE PIOUS LECTURES OR MORAL PATRONIZING. ... THE VISIT BY SECRETARY ... ALBRIGHT WAS A VITAL PART OF THE CONTINUING DIALOGUE. ... GOOD WORKING RELATIONS WITH CHINA ARE NOT LIKELY TO FEEL GOOD. THEY ARE, HOWEVER, ESSENTIAL TO U-S NATIONAL INTERESTS AND A PEACEFUL WORLD. TEXT: IN MAINE, "THE PORTLAND PRESS HERALD" SUMS UP IT'S RESERVATIONS ABOUT RELATIONS WITH CHINA THIS WAY: VOICE: WHILE ENGAGING THE CHINESE ECONOMICALLY MAKES SENSE, KEEPING SILENT ABOUT CHINA'S DEPLORABLE HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD DOES NOT. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT BEIJING'S ABUSES. THAT MEANS ALLOWING DEBATE ON MOST-FAVORED-NATION STATUS TO GO FORWARD ... TEXT: TODAY'S "BOSTON GLOBE, COUNSELING PATIENCE WITH CHINA," BLAMES SOME OF THE SENSE OF CONTENTIOUSNESS AT THE TALKS ON THE U-S MEDIA'S "APPETITE FOR CONFLICT." VOICE: THE UNITED STATES NEED NOT MUFFLE ITS CRITICISM OF BEIJING'S CRACKDOWN ON DISSIDENTS, BUT IT SHOULD NURTURE A PATIENT AND CONFIDENT EXPECTATION THAT A NEW CHINESE GENERATION, MOLDED BY THE INTERNET AND THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PRINCIPLE OF CONSTANT CHANGE, WILL SOON UNDO THE STRUCTURES OF THE OLD REDS [COMMUNISTS]. /// END OPT /// TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON SECRETARY ALBRIGHT'S RECENT VISIT TO CHINA. NEB/ANG/GE 03-Mar-99 2:10 PM EST (1910 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .