President Bush at Caltech
President Bush appeared at the Asian-American rally (front page, June 17) and commented that “to influence China, one cannot simply isolate China.” What he really meant is that because of his intimate relationship with China’s dictator Deng Xiaoping and the current power holders, he does not wish to isolate the leadership. Alas! Such has been America’s China policy for the past five decades. Since World War II, the interest of the Chinese people has never been in the equation of American policy (toward China). The failure of U.S. policy to accelerate the democratization of China has fatally delayed and postponed the dream of the Chinese people to enjoy basic human rights and liberty which we Americans enjoy.
Upon reading President Bush’s decision to extend the most-favored-nation trade status to China, a mid-level Chinese trade official who was recently dispatched to the U.S. by the Chinese government and whom I talked to lamented that “the Chinese government will now be encouraged by Bush’s action and support in suppressing domestic opposition.”
President Bush should listen more to the voice of the Chinese people and not cater to the wishes of his dictatorial friends in China in formulating and implementing China policy.
DAVID MA
Monterey Park
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