Civic Economics - Page A1
March 27, 1997
GORE UNABLE TO CITE ANY CHINA HUMAN RIGHTS GAIN
By Tatsudo Akayama, Staff JournalistTOKYO DESK - President Clinton is pushing hard for granting Most Favored Nation status for Communist China,in spite of the fact that the vice-president of the United States left mainland Communist China today unable to cite any specific progress on human rights or trade.
Even worse for the United States, the enduring memories of his trip will be the moment he froze when offered an unexpected champagne toast and the muddle over just what he said to Communist Chinese officials about allegations that they funnel money into the 1996 presidential election campaign.
Gore's immature statesmanship was received by American tax payers on Thursday with disappointment as evidenced by disparaging editorials and a host of negative comment on his lack-lustre performance.
Even so, it was the most politically sensitive assignment for Gore. His mission was to try to improve relations with China despite the campaign fund raising charges, which China denies. His aides quoted him as telling the Chinese leaders that the contributions would not affect Sino-American relations.
This damaging account was later totally contradicted by Gore staff who then said Gore did tell the Chinese of serious repercussions if the allegations were true.
Gore was supposed to focus on continuing oppression in China and America's trade deficit of almost $40 billion. But, after two days of intensive meetings, Gore had not gained ground any on human rights issues and China had only promised greater access to its markets.
Although, Gore says he did bring up specific cases of specific dissidents he refused to identify which cases they were. Then, to make matters worse, Gore by-passed Hong Kong and missed a golden opportunity to emphasize America's support for its civil liberties after China's takeover.
Gore's failure in China does not give any encouraging signs for the forthcoming summits between president Clinton and president Jiang Zemin. Worst of all, Gore's clinking of champagne glasses with Li Peng, the Prime Minister, is clear evidence that he was too friendly with the Chinese after allegations that they had tried to buy influence in Washington.
American taxpayers remember that Gore once denounced George Bush for sending emissaries to China who, Gore said, toasted the '... butchers of Tiananmen Square'.
Gore was forced to endure a poetic Chinese justice this week while in Beijing. As a result Gore, was caught half-heartedly raising a champaign glass and toasting the Communist Chinese prime minister Li Peng, the very official who imposed martial law and ordered the crackdown against the pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989.
Failing to obtain Chinese acknowledgment of civil rights violations, James Sasser, the U.S. ambassador to China, said last night he expected that Washington will ask the United Nations Human Rights Commission to adopt a resolution criticizing China for human rights abuses.
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