DATE=04/09/99
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-11234
     TITLE=U-S / CHINA / ZHU VISIT
    BYLINE=GARY EDQUIST
 TELEPHONE=619-2702
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

CONTENT=

INTRO:   CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO THE 
UNITED STATES.  THURSDAY, PREMIER ZHU HELD TALKS WITH PRESIDENT 
CLINTON.  WE GET A SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE 
VISIT AND THE STATUS OF U-S - CHINESE RELATIONS FROM ____________
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.

TEXT:  THE TALKS BETWEEN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND PREMIER ZHU 
FOCUSED ON DISPUTES OVER TRADE, HUMAN RIGHTS, TAIWAN AND NUCLEAR 
ISSUES.  THEY AGREED THAT THEY EXPECT CHINA TO BE ALLOWED INTO 
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION BY THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WERE 
UNABLE TO SETTLE REMAINING DIFFERENCES.  THE PORTLAND (MAINE) 
PRESS HERALD HEADLINES ITS EDITORIAL, "SOME THINGS (ARE) MORE 
VITAL THAN TRADE WITH CHINA."

VOICE:   CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO BE HELD BACK, CONTRIBUTING TO THE
         ECONOMIC TURMOIL OF THE REGION, AS LONG AS IT VIOLATES 
         ITS PEOPLE'S MOST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.  THE 'STRATEGIC 
         RELATIONSHIP' OF WHICH (PRESIDENT) CLINTON AND (PREMIER)
         ZHU SPOKE ON THURSDAY WILL BE HOLLOW WITHOUT A CHINESE 
         COMMITMENT TO ENDING THOSE VIOLATIONS, AND UPHOLDING 
         THOSE RIGHTS.

TEXT:  THE BOSTON GLOBE ADVISES THAT ONE TOPIC THAT NEEDS TO BE 
NEAR THE TOP OF ANY LIST WITH THE CHINESE "IS THE TRUE SCANDAL OF
1996 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY DIRECTED INTO 
DEMOCRATIC (PARTY) COFFERS BY BEIJING'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE 
CHIEF."  THE GLOBE WRITES THAT THIS ISSUE IS A "TRUE SCANDAL" 
BECAUSE OF THE "SPECTACLE OF A WHITE HOUSE OPEN TO POLITICAL 
PAYOFFS FROM BEIJING."  THE GLOBE EDITORIAL CONCLUDES:

VOICE:   AT PRESENT, NO BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IS AS CRUCIAL TO 
         U-S INTERESTS AS THAT WITH CHINA.  WASHINGTON HAS AN 
         ENORMOUS STAKE IN BEIJING MAKING A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO 
         A FREE MARKET DEMOCRACY.  THE INEVITABLE POLITICAL FUROR
         KICKED UP BY THE SCANDAL OVER BEIJING'S CAMPAIGN 
         CONTRIBUTIONS CAN ONLY SET BACK THE CRUCIAL US - CHINA 
         RELATIONSHIP.  BOTH SIDES NEED TO PREVENT ANY RECURRENCE
         OF THIS BLUNDER.

TEXT:  THE NEW YORK TIMES IS CONCERNED WITH ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE
U-S - CHINESE RELATIONSHIP, SUSPICIONS THAT CHINA MAY HAVE 
OBTAINED U-S NUCLEAR WEAPONS SECRETS.

VOICE:   DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING OVER HUMAN 
         RIGHTS, KOSOVO AND CHINESE ADMISSION TO THE WORLD TRADE 
         ORGANIZATION WERE ALREADY CASTING A SHADOW OVER THIS 
         WEEK'S VISIT TO AMERICA BY PREMIER ZHU.  THEN CAME A NEW
         REPORT THURSDAY (IN THE NEW YORK TIMES) THAT CHINA MAY 
         HAVE STOLEN NEUTRON BOMB SECRETS FROM THE UNITED STATES 
         DURING MR. CLINTON'S FIRST TERM (IN OFFICE). ... THE 
         PROBLEM IS NOT MERELY THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO AMERICAN 
         SECURITY.  AS TROUBLING IS EVIDENCE ... THAT TOP WHITE 
         HOUSE OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY SAMUEL 'SANDY' BERGER, NOW 
         THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, REACTED LETHARGICALLY 
         WHEN THE FIRST ALARMS WERE SOUNDED ABOUT THE SUSPECTED 
         SPYING.

TEXT:  THE NEW YORK POST IS ALSO WRITING ABOUT ALLEGATIONS THAT 
CHINA STOLE U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS, CLAIMING IN ITS EDITORIAL 
HEADLINE THAT "THE CLINTONITES LIE ABOUT CHINA."

VOICE:   WHEN REPORTS LAST MONTH DETAILED HOW THE CLINTON 
         ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO ACT DECISIVELY ON LEARNING OF 
         CHINA'S WIDESPREAD EFFORTS TO STEAL U-S NUCLEAR 
         TECHNOLOGY, THE WHITE HOUSE TOOK GREAT PAINS TO STRESS 
         THAT THE ACTUAL SPYING HAPPENED IN THE REAGAN / BUSH 
         YEARS.  NOW IT TURNS OUT THAT CHINA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL 
         ESPIONAGE OPERATION -- THE THEFT OF U-S SECRETS ON THE 
         DEADLY NEUTRON BOMB -- TOOK PLACE ENTIRELY ON BILL 
         CLINTON'S WATCH (I.E. TERM IN OFFICE). ... THE EVIDENCE 
         IS MOUNTING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO COMPREHEND
         THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION -- AND THEN TRIED 
         DESPERATELY TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG.

TEXT:  NEWSDAY (ON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK) IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT
THE SAFETY OF U-S - NUCLEAR SECRETS FROM CHINESE SPYING, NOTING 
THAT SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED NOT TO USE "THE MOST SECURE 
COMPUTERS AT THE NATION'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS LABORATORIES."  NEWSDAY
WRITES:

VOICE:   WITH CHINA'S PRIME MINISTER ZHU VISITING THE UNITED 
         STATES AND WASHINGTON ABUZZ WITH ALLEGATIONS THAT 
         BEIJING HAS STOLEN U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS, THE (COMPUTER) 
         SHUTDOWN SENDS TWO IMPORTANT MESSAGES. TO (PREMIER) ZHU:
         FROM NOW ON IT WILL BE TOUGHER TO SMUGGLE CLASSIFIED 
         MATERIAL OUT OF LOS ALAMOS (NEW MEXICO) AND THE OTHER 
         WEAPONS LABS. TO THE LABS' RESEARCHERS: LIKE IT OR NOT, 
         SECURITY MEASURES ARE GOING TO BE TIGHTER FROM NOW ON. 
         ... EVEN IF THE CHINESE DIDN'T SPY SUCCESSFULLY, 
         WASHINGTON HAS TO ASSUME THEY WERE TRYING TO.

TEXT:  THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT.

NEB/GE/RRM

09-Apr-99 12:15 PM EDT (1615 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.