Be Polite but Be Firm

Premier Li Peng, the man most visibly identified with the brutal 1989 repression of the democracy movement in China, is scheduled to meet briefly with President Bush at the United Nations in New York this afternoon, part of a major public relations effort by Beijing to erase bitter international memories of the Tian An Men Square crackdown.

Today’s meeting has drawn a sharp letter of protest to Bush from 21 senators, who see it as inconsistent with U.S. human rights policy. But the President will have a chance to support that policy if he uses the occasion to restate American concerns over the fate of thousands of Chinese liberals who remain jailed solely because of their political views.

China is making a major effort to regain the standing it lost after its violent crackdown on dissent 30 months ago. As part of that effort, Li, who announced the imposition of martial law, is visiting a number of European countries as well as the United Nations. But his mission to the West has not been smooth sailing. Protests greeted him in Italy--and are expected to as well in New York--and Switzerland’s justice minister canceled a lunch with him to protest human rights abuses.

Later this year Congress plans to take up again the question of China’s most-favored-nation trading status. In their letter to Bush the 21 senators warned that Beijing must show significant and concrete progress toward respecting human rights before bilateral relations can again be normalized. Bush will have a chance today to endorse that sober message. He should have no hesitancy about politely and firmly doing so.