ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 TAG: 9605150040
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: CAL THOMAS
SOURCE: CAL THOMAS
EVEN THOSE with short memories will recall candidate Bill Clinton's uncompromising criticism during the 1992 campaign of President Bush's China policy. Candidate Clinton said the Bush policy of maintaining normal trade and diplomatic relations with China in spite of human rights abuses was morally indefensible. He implied that if elected his policy toward China would be different. He was - and it isn't.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher says the United States will not impose any sanctions on China for the sale by a Chinese firm of nuclear equipment used for the production of weapons-grade enriched uranium to Pakistan. The reason? The administration says it is persuaded that top Chinese leaders didn't know of the sale.
Is that credible in a police state?
Would a Chinese company engage in such a sale if it believed the government would look unfavorably on its actions when disapproval could mean prison or death? And why would the American government accept the word of communist dictators, who can be trusted only to lie?
Of even greater concern should be another sale of missiles and parts by China to Iran in possible violation of China's 1994 promise to abide by a missile-technology control system.
American business has not been helpful. Chief executives in major industries have recently expressed concern to government officials that diplomatic battles over human rights and nuclear technology could ``poison'' economic relations with China. This is reminiscent of the attitude of some business leaders preceding and during World War II. Their view was that if they didn't sell the Nazis chemicals and gas - later used to fuel the Holocaust - somebody else would. Why let morals get in the way of commerce?
At some point the United States must stop behaving like a paper tiger and begin backing up its threats with action, or China will think it can get away with murder (which it did at Tiananmen Square). Every time we are provoked - whether over the pirating of copyrighted material or the sale of nuclear technology to other countries - we make threats but never follow through.
Now we are making excuses for China. We excuse Chinese leaders, saying they didn't know. But from the Asian point of view, we have lost face. As recently as three weeks ago, senior administration officials were convinced sanctions of some kind would be imposed on China for the transfer of the nuclear magnets to a Pakistani installation not subject to inspection or normal international safeguards. American credibility was on the line, they said, and the Chinese had to be shown that their actions had consequences. Apparently they do not, and American credibility took another dive.
Now the administration says it will go ahead with $2 billion in economic sanctions against certain Chinese products unless China lives up to its promises to stop producing pirated copies of copyrighted American software, compact discs and videos. But we've said that before. China doesn't listen. Will we ever say enough is enough?
When the Tiananmen Square massacre cost China nothing, when it saw our timid reaction to their intimidation of Taiwan during the island's recent presidential election, when China hears threats and sees no follow-up, why should it take America or this administration seriously?
Yes, China has one-fourth of the world's population, but does that mean America stands for human rights only in countries it can overwhelmingly intimidate?
If agreements on nuclear technology and copyright infringement are to mean anything, then the United States should react vigorously when those agreements are violated. Otherwise, the world has a right to ask whether we are the home of the brave, or just the land of the fee?
- Los Angeles Times Syndicate
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB