On the other side, US Congressional pressure to deny in June China MFN (Most Favored Nation) trading status has gained momentum. The anti-China and anti-Clinton's China Policy manuveours will not subside until after the yr 2k election, by which time Chinese review of its pro-US policy would have been solidified.
Henry C.K. Liu
Envoy Says China Dispute Won't Last
By GEORGE GEDDA Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Holed up in the U.S.
Embassy in China as a virtual prisoner for four
days, Ambassador James Sasser nonetheless
believes the flap over the mistaken U.S. bombing of
the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade is an aberration
that the two sides will overcome.
``I think wiser heads will prevail on both sides, and
both sides will move forward and continue to build a
partnership,'' Sasser said Monday night on CNN's
``Larry King Live'' program.
Sasser said he is encouraged by signs of a Chinese
willingness for the first time to permit the media to
publish U.S. expressions of condolences over the
loss of life in Belgrade and the apologies of
President Clinton and other senior officials.
But Chinese President Jiang Zemin has yet to accept
a telephone call from Clinton, and other Chinese
officials are continuing to cast doubt on the
American claim that last week's bombing was an
accident.
In the first direct fallout on the fragile U.S.-Chinese
military relationship, Beijing canceled a planned visit
next week by Gen. Charles Krulak, commandant of
the Marine Corps, and ``put on hold'' virtually all
military-to-military cooperation with the United
States, U.S. defense officials said today.
Defense Secretary William Cohen's planned trip to
China in June now appears unlikely, officials said,
although Cohen said Monday, ``Much will depend
upon whether the Chinese government wishes to
have me travel there.'' He said he wanted to
strengthen defense ties, ``but that depends upon the
Chinese government.''
China's ambassador to the United States, Li Zhao
Xing, said on CNN: ``Some people are saying this is
a mistake. ... How could they make such an error?''
He demanded a ``thoroughgoing investigation'' into
the incident.
The situation improved today, Sasser said. ``We are
not getting nearly as many rocks thrown at us and
the crowds are much smaller,'' he said on NBC's
``Today.''
``I think it is clear that we have to move rapidly to
give China a clear and cogent explanation'' how the
bombing mistake occurred, Sasser said.
Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering,
interviewed immediately after Sasser, was asked
when the United States would provide that
explanation.
``Yesterday,'' he replied, referring to Defense
Secretary William Cohen's statement Monday. ``We
responded with great speed and made clear to the
Chinese that this was a tragic mistake,'' Pickering
said. He would not rule out further explanations,
adding, ``We are continuing our review.''
Sasser, a former Democratic senator from
Tennessee, said he has remained at the embassy
because the Chinese police were unable to guarantee
his safety. He said his wife and son were moved to
safety in a hotel.
One reason for his optimism, Sasser said, was that
the Chinese government, after initially condoning the
mass demonstrations at the embassy and at U.S.
consulates, is now making a strong effort to contain
them.
There was little doubt, though, that the bombing in
Belgrade, which killed three Chinese and seriously
wounded six, left Sino-American relations at a low
ebb.
Among the early casualties were high-level military
ties as well as talks on arms control, international
security and human rights. China suspended
contacts in all these areas Monday.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a candidate for
president, said he would take a tough line with
China, asking officials to use their security forces to
prevent attacks on the U.S. Embassy.
``I would call up the premier of China and say,
`Stop it and stop it right now,''' he said. ``We have
apologized, it's tragic, now it's over.''
McCain said he would not threaten China, but
would ``certainly make it clear there are a whole lot
of issues we need to work together on,'' such as
trade.
Another Republican presidential candidate,
commentator Pat Buchanan, said China's response
to the accident was not that of a friend but rather of
``an antagonistic and hostile regime spoiling for a
quarrel.''
The incident placed a fresh burden on a relationship
already straining under the weight of U.S. allegations
of Chinese nuclear spying, illegal campaign
contributions, a widening trade deficit in China's
favor and American complaints about China's
human rights performance.
Clinton has said his efforts to reach out to China
have paid dividends.
Among other advances, Clinton says U.S. ties with
China helped his administration negotiate a nuclear
freeze with North Korea five years ago and
persuade China to stop selling weapons-related
nuclear materials to Pakistan and Iran.
While deeply disturbed by the bombing of a building
erroneously thought to be a Yugoslav military
installation, U.S. officials said they were displeased
with aspects of the Chinese government's response.
State Department spokesman James Rubin said the
administration was troubled by what he described as
clear Chinese government sponsorship of the
demonstrations, in which bricks and concrete were
heaved at embassy buildings and cars.
Rubin also said it was ``extremely unfortunate'' that
China's government-controlled media have kept
information from the Chinese people about the
expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Kosovo
Albanians from Yugoslavia while focusing instead
on NATO mishaps that have led to the unintentional
killing of civilians.
AP-NY-05-11-99 0914EDT
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