DEALING WITH CHINA

February 26, 1999
		The State Department announced that "widespread" human rights abuses in China increased at the end of 1998. Following a background report on increasing tensions between the two nations, Margaret Warner leads a discussion about activities in China.

Feb. 26, 1999: The full Human Rights report on China from the State Department. Dec. 30, 1998: A discussion of the latest crackdown on dissidents. July 7, 1998: The Tibetan question. June 29, 1998: President Clinton challenges China on human rights issues. June 24, 1998: Three dissidents discuss Clinton's visit to China. June 15, 1998: The Chinese ambassador on Clinton's trip April 27, 1998: An interview Chinese dissident Wang Dan Dec. 10, 1997: An interview with Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng   State Department's report on Human Rights abuses for 1998 Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China Human Rights Watch

JIM LEHRER: Kwame Holman begins the China story. KWAME HOLMAN: Seven months ago, President Clinton traveled to Beijing and received a warm welcome from his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin. During the visit, which included stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other cities, Mr. Clinton urged the Chinese leader to improve human rights practices, including releasing political prisoners. Still, both men emphasized their desire to build strong ties and work cooperatively on a variety of bilateral issues, from trade to regional security. In the months since then, however, new tensions developed between the two powers. China jailed and detained more than 30 dissidents, some of them founding members of the fledgling and illegal China Democracy Party. Their trials and lengthy prison terms drew protests in China. In October, China signed a United Nations document called the "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," which commits nations to freedom of association and expression for their citizens, but the Chinese Government has not ratified the covenant and has undertaken other measures to limit expression, including new curbs on access to the Internet. Sharp controversies also developed over sales of U.S.-made commercial satellites to China. The Clinton administration just scrubbed one such sale amid fears the Chinese military got illegal access to some of the satellite technology. And yesterday, the Pentagon reported China is engaged in a major missile buildup around Taiwan. Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit with China grew, but human rights remains the most emotional issue between China and the U.S. SENATE PRESIDENT: On this vote, the ayes are 99 and the nays are zero. KWAME HOLMAN: Yesterday, the Senate unanimously called on President Clinton to sponsor a resolution condemning China's human rights record when a United Nations commission meets next month in Switzerland. Minnesota Democrat Paul Wellstone was a sponsor of the resolution. SEN. PAUL WELLSTONE: We are saying today that if our government does not introduce this resolution condemning the widespread violation of human rights by the Chinese Government at this important Human Rights Commission gathering - U.N. Human Rights Commission gathering -- in Geneva in March, then our silence will be betrayal. KWAME HOLMAN: And this morning, the State Department released its annual Human Rights Report, which said China reversed earlier practice and cracked down on political dissent in the last two months of 1998. Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Harold Koh, was asked about the crackdown at a press briefing this afternoon. HAROLD KOH: Our view on political crackdown is that beginning in the fall, Communist Party leaders moved to nip in the bud -- and this was a term used by the Communist Party's own leaders-- to nip in the bud organized challenges that they believe threaten national stability or Communist Party authority. Their view was that these efforts to register an opposition political party could get out of control and, therefore, needed to be nipped in the bud. And we think that that has -- is what has led to the very severe and sustained set of arrests and trials in violation of due process that have occurred. KWAME HOLMAN: This weekend, Koh and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright leave for Beijing on a trip originally set to discuss the April visit to the U.S. by China's prime minister. Now the U.S. delegation has a full plate of mushrooming controversies to take up with the Chinese leadership.