President Clinton, hosting an unprecedented summit of Asian-Pacific leaders Friday, sought "a more constructive" path in badly strained relations with China but apparently made little progress. Joined by Asian leaders, Clinton prodded reluctant Europeans to break a logjam in world trade talks.
Clinton met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin against the backdrop of the 17-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It was the highest-level contact between the two countries since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 1989.Clinton said he pressed Jiang on the prickly issues of human rights, arms sales, China's expected $20 billion trade surplus with Washington and the cultural integrity of Tibet. "We have got to make progress" on those issues, Clinton said.
China's foreign minister, Qian Qichen, said later, "The position of China is that we do not approve of the practice of linking things which have nothing to do with trade issues." Yet, he called the meeting "positive and constructive."
Secretary of State Warren Christopher said, "There were no specific commitments coming out of the meeting." He said the importance of the talks was in their "frankness and candidness and directness."
In no uncertain terms, Jiang stressed to Clinton "the importance of noninterference in the affairs of other nations," said White House communications director Mark Gearan.
In terms of trade, the Seattle meeting signaled a shift in Washington's post-Cold War economic priorities from a sluggish Europe to a booming Asia.
"We must look across the Pacific as well as the Atlantic," the president said. "We must engage the world's fastest-growing economies."
Clinton suggested the United States might try to forge new trade arrangements with Asia unless European nations consent to terms of a worldwide trade agreement.
The forum's Pacific Rim leaders represent about 50 percent of the world's economic output. Their conference marks the first time that so many Asian heads of state and government have come together in one place.
The meeting with Ziang at the private Rainier Club was the centerpiece of Friday's talks. Clinton said it was a good beginning to "a challenging situation."
Clinton said he was specific in outlining areas where the United States expects progress, including a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, improvement of prison labor conditions and permission for the families of Chinese dissidents wholive abroad to have their families join them.
Christopher said that even while Jiang offered no concessions, he did not balk at talking about the issues and "engaged in quite an animated way."
The president said the United States was a commercial friend of China and "we don't begrudge them that." But, he said, there must be progress on their differences.
Jiang smiled broadly during a photo opportunity with the president; Clinton fixed his face with an emotionless look. Outside, protesters loudly chanted, "Free Tibet."
When a reporter asked Jiang if he would give Clinton any guarantees on human rights or stopping missile proliferation, the Chinese leader said, "When the leaders of two of the largest countries in the world get together, we should talk about bigger problems."
Clinton said Japan, China and South Korea share concerns about North Korea becoming a nuclear power.
"They are worried about whether sanctions would backfire," the president said. "And we have discussed with them some other options to demonstrate again to North Korea that they have nothing to be afraid of from an honest dialogue with the South and from allowing the (nuclear inspectors) to come back in."
Clinton, who had accused the Bush administration of "coddling" China, said before the meeting that he wasn't softening the U.S. position toward Beijing. He said his visit with Jiang was part of "an effort to put our relationship with China on a more constructive path but still one that deals with all of these issues that are important to the United States."
In a goodwill gesture, Clinton approved the sale to China of a Cray supercomputer to help forecast natural disasters and also tentatively approved the sale of turbines for nuclear generators.