During the past few days, the world has been treated to a quiet but impressive display of Richard Nixon at his best.

That, of course, is not the harsh, suspicious Nixon of Watergate infamy but the patient, pragmatic Nixon who impressed even his critics with his ability to build bridges between nations with widely disparate aims and values.So it was in 1972 when Nixon carefully engineered the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China.

So it was again this week when the former president again visited China, attempting to help repair the damage done to Sino-American relations by the tragedy last June in Tianamen Square.

It would be unrealistic to expect more than glacial progress from just one visit by a prominent American no longer in a position of responsibility. Even so, it was a useful visit because it just might help keep relations from deteriorating even more and because Nixon told the Chinese much that needed to be said.

In remarks notable for their exceptional bluntness, Nixon said that China's leaders have lost respect and confidence among Americans because of the bloody crackdown last June. But he went on to emphasize that instead of each side waiting for the other to take the first step toward healing damaged relations, both should work together.

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What was done in China last June can't be undone. But the world must go on. And the sooner Washington and Beijing can get back to some civil and productive relationship, the better for each.

This does not mean ignoring or excusing the brutality displayed in the Tianamen Square crackdown. But the fact remains that, next to Hong Kong, American businesses are still the largest investors in China. Still another fact of life is that China cannot proceed with its efforts at modernization until it alters the course that drove it into its present isolation.

That isolation comes not just from the West's reaction to Tianamen but from actions elsewhere, too. In the developing world, Liberia and Belize have in quick succession switched diplomatic recognition to China's nationalist rival Taiwan. Hungary and Poland are in the process of casting off more than 40 years of communism, resulting in a distinct cooling of relations with China.

Few people are better equipped to help start the current repair work than is the man who helped bring China out of its former isolation. When Richard Nixon returns from China, he will report to President Bush on his findings and recommendations. His report deserves close, respectful attention.

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