China, Cuba at U.N. Celebration

“Picking Our Friends More Carefully” (Column Right, Oct. 22) sounds like Dana Rohrabacher is gearing up for another arms race. He must lament the fall of the Iron Curtain, since we had so much fun making tanks and bombs. And it was so profitable for the arms makers.

Now I suppose we will be counting the tanks and bombs the Chinese have, making sure we match them tit for tat. How all of this would square with his fellow Republicans’ resolve to balance the budget poses some interesting speculation.

RUDY VIETMEIER

Lakewood

*

* As Rohrabacher points out, it is true that Americans are apprehensive about China. Not so much because we fear its size or power, but that we fear our own government’s incompetence in dealing with this uncouth bully. Our government has let China dictate who may visit our country. It has allowed China to run up a soaring trade deficit with us primarily by using slave labor to produce cheap goods, and by systematically discriminating against American goods and companies, and pirating their products.

To show its gratitude, China has rattled sabers against the Philippines in the Spratly islands dispute, and against Taiwan, to name just two U.S. allies. We need scarcely bother mentioning the Tian An Men Square massacre, which Maurice Meisner (Opinion, Oct. 22) dismisses as the actions of a “weak” Chinese government.

President Clinton should have refused to meet with China’s president last week at the U.N. Like all dictators, the Chinese desperately seek legitimacy by an apparent meeting of equals with the American President.

ROGER J. BUFFINGTON

Glendale

*

* For this country to get embroiled in the China thing is unwise. It would be much more appreciated around the world if the United States would pay the dues to the United Nations which it committed to do.

A. R. OLAND

Alta Loma

*

* I am not writing to in any way defend China, and I agree that Clinton should not sign a so-called “communique” that rejects Taiwan; however, with regard to some of the accusations made against China, I must ask Rohrabacher, “What about us?”

Rohrabacher states that “China continues to persecute citizens at home and . . . thousands of Chinese languish in prisons for speaking against the government, for praying or for joining labor unions.” Is Rohrabacher aware that the United States imprisons a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world? “China also has conducted provocative military exercises in the Strait of Taiwan” and “sold offensive missiles to Pakistan and (get this, folks) Iran.” Surely you jest, Mr. Rohrabacher! Have you forgotten our mining of Nicaraguan harbors and our transfer of missiles to Iran during the infamous Iran-Contra affair? “China recently has doubled military spending on everything from sophisticated tanks to submarines.” We’ve never done that, have we?

Before we criticize other countries, let’s take responsibility for our own transgressions and clean up our own back yard. Let’s set an example for China, by allowing Cuba to rejoin the community of nations.

JOHN J. EAGLESHAM

Cypress

*

* I heard Fidel Castro speak (Oct. 23); he handled himself very well, even avuncularly. (However, how many bad uncles do we know--Joe Stalin, for example.) It’s time to accept Castro! The regime that he overthrew was so incredibly evil that he did the world a service.

VICTOR J. BURNER

Pasadena

*

* Castro’s criticism of the United Nations as not caring for the poor, the sick and so forth would have made me laugh if I weren’t Cuban myself, and were not aware of the suffering of my brothers and sisters on the island. The Cuban people, at the time Castro was being interviewed by CNN and making a speech in the United Nations, had no electricity for the majority of the hours of the day and night, had very limited amounts of water, had had no toilet paper for many years, and not even an aspirin for a toothache.

And, please, don’t blame the U.S. embargo against his government, because he is free to do business with the rest of the world. The now-famous “blockade” is his pretext to his people--and to the world--to justify his failed system of government.

GINA del RIO

San Gabriel

*

* There was a such nice feel to David Lamb’s story on the president of Palau’s attendance at the United Nation’s 50th birthday bash (Oct. 24).

Naively, I enjoyed the story’s warm, descriptively comfortable tone. Thanks for this appealing touch among a plethora of hard-to-digest stories abut the nightmare from hell in Bosnia, Congress’ infighting and out-fighting with President Clinton, and Yeltsin’s very, very bad jokes. Juxtapose the latter’s cartoon antics against his finger on a nuclear button and we’ll all stop laughing.

JEANNE A. TAYLOR

Los Angeles