A ‘Gift’ to China’s Regime

Bill Clinton’s trip to China--the first presidential visit since 1989--marks another step in rebuilding U.S.-Sino relations, sharply shaken nine years ago when the Chinese regime turned its tanks and guns on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Because of efforts to ease strains in the relationship, this summit is likely to be short on policy breakthroughs and long on symbolism. Therefore the president must stand firm publicly and privately on American principles regarding human rights, trade and arms nonproliferation.

The White House squandered vital leverage by committing to the trip before securing China’s agreement to discuss issues of major interest to the United States. There will be high-level discussions, but the itinerary promises largely travelogue material for the nightly news and presidential meetings with various groups in an effort to touch China’s grass roots. (Chinese participants in those meetings have been chosen by Beijing, meaning Clinton will be speaking with a selected, and tame, audience.)

On the eve of the visit, Beijing revoked the visas of three Radio Free Asia journalists who had been accredited to the White House press entourage, a slap in the face for the president, who has made the U.S. government-funded network an important element of his China policy. Radio Free Asia would have provided a critical means of distributing reports of the visit directly to the Chinese people. Instead China’s public will have to depend on information from state-controlled media. The president is scheduled to make only one major address, at Beijing University.

A candid reappraisal of U.S.-Sino relations would be a logical sequel to Clinton’s meeting with President Jiang Zemin in Washington last October. Then, Clinton publicly described the Beijing regime as being “on the wrong side of history” for its denial of human rights and basic democratic freedoms.

China’s answer has been to release two famous dissidents--Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan. But hundreds of others convicted of political crimes languish in prison. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said last Sunday that the president “will make very clear our views on how we feel about human rights in China and Tiananmen.” Families of protesters killed in the violent suppression are seeking to meet with Clinton. That would anger his official hosts, but it would send an important message to them.

Beijing has fallen short of meeting its international responsibilities in everything from security to trade. Doubts remain on whether it has stopped exporting nuclear technology to Iran and Pakistan. On trade, too many U.S. exports still face Chinese barriers, and China remains unready to join the World Trade Organization.

China is counting on Clinton’s visit to raise the global legitimacy of its leaders. Washington’s failure to secure a diplomatic quid pro quo is giving the Chinese just what they want. The White House should have done better.