It’s Highly Significant, No Excuses, Please

A sampling of commentary from around the Pacific Rim: * Japan “The Americans insist that Japan agreed to ‘highly significant cuts,’ whereas the Japanese translated the same phrase as a ‘meaningful reduction.’. . . Japan’s interpretation of ‘meaningful’ is abstract enough to leave room for making excuses in the future.”

-- Sankei Shimbun, commenting on U.S.-Japan trade talks .

* Australia “Such threats are of little use if Belgrade judges them to be empty of genuine force. Until the international community commits military force, the inexorable destruction of the Muslims will continue.”

-- Editorial in The Canberra Times on U.S. willingness to use air power on the Serbs.

“President Clinton’s criticism of European timidity over Bosnia is not so easily dismissed. After all, what have the Europeans to show for their preference for diplomacy over a strategy of measured but direct military intervention? The disgraceful carve-up of Bosnia, it seems.”

-- The Sydney Morning Herald on “The Clinton line on Bosnia.”

* New Zealand “Before trying to bomb the Serbs into oblivion, it would be more beneficial to the beleaguered residents (of Sarajevo) to secure the city, open up supply lines, clear roads, restore communications and make it safe to venture out . . . . The killing must be brought to an end, by force if necessary.”

-- The Evening Post, Wellington, on proposed U.S.-European air attacks.

* Philippines “Clinton’s tough talk at the DMZ must have won approval points from the American public, which likes to see its leader act gung-ho in global affairs.”

-- Ricardo Malay in the Manila Chronicle, commenting on President Clinton’s visit to the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea; Clinton warned Pyongyang against developing nuclear weapons.

* Korea “If they feel the importance of protecting the health of their citizens, shouldn’t they feel the same about the well-being of other countries’ citizens?”

--Letter to the Chosun Ilbo, noting that U.S.-exported wheat was recently found to contain the insecticide Malathion at 1.5 times greater than the allowable limit.

* Hong Kong “The United States is still demanding full MIA accounting from Vietnam before it completely ends its 18-year-old trade embargo and normalizes domestic relations. This demand realistically can never be met and . . . has little support among America’s allies.”

-- Editorial in the Nation .

“Deportation for those without papers, and fines and jail sentences for their employers, must be routine. Otherwise illegal immigration can never be curbed. Such a policy, however, demands the cooperation of China: No U.S. government can adopt a policy of knowingly sending people back to persecution at home.”

-- The South China Morning Post, on U.S. handling of illegal Chinese immigrants.