President Bush’s Policy on China

Calling President Bush’s China policy “very fragile” clearly shows The Times’ lack of comprehension of the sensitivity of U.S.-Sino relations. I thank Richard Baum for pointing out that an override of Bush’s veto would have done significant damage to our long-term interests (Op-Ed Page, Jan. 26). However, Baum did not go far enough in explaining why the veto override came so close.

For the most part, members of the House of Representatives, such as Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), are incapable of looking toward long-term interests. They only think of their reelection every two years and the need to answer to their constituency. Thus, this bill of pure emotion, regardless of the detrimental impact it would have on our relations with China, would satisfy representatives’ need to show their constituents that they indeed did something to help “democracy.” It would be beyond their intellect to realize that the Pelosi bill does nothing but close the door on China and throw away the key.

What bothers me the most is people like Pelosi who presume to know everything about China policy. The President, who has been in China as an official representative of this country, with the help of foreign policy gurus such as Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, has the facility to present our nation’s best foreign policy on China ever and we should be thankful we have such capable leadership at a sensitive time like this. Not one member of Congress can even come close to claiming more knowledge and experience in China affairs.

I would like to thank The Times for pointing out that all 37 senators and 25 House members who voted to sustain the President’s veto were Republicans. It only shows that this nation’s conservative leadership has the ability and insight in seeing the importance of U.S.-Sino relations. Without the leadership of Sens. Robert Dole (R-Kan.) and Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), the shortsighted Congress would have managed to single-handedly, in one liberal blow, ruin U.S.-China foreign policy. God bless the Republican Party!

TEH-HAN P. CHOW

Northridge