European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                15 years after Nixon s  by Ron Redmond United press International ormer red guard Wang Tojun is ill remembers his disbelief and bewilderment when Richard Nixon Leader of one of China s most feared and haled enemies arrived in Beijing Lor a visit 15 years ago. Ail of us had been taught that the United states was a major enemy especially since the korean War said Wang who was 20 when Nixon made his historic woe Long Visil in february 1972. It was a journey that brought the would s richest Nalion together with the world s most populous after More than i to decades of hostility. Many people could not understand whal was  Wang said. Bui at the conclusion of that visit China and the United Stales issued the 1,800-word Shanghai communique a document thin has been described As one of the Century s Greal Osl diplomatic coups and in Nixon s own words one that would change the  ii became obvious that we were going to be friends said Wang just months before Nixon s arrival he had joined with tens of thousands of other youths massed in Beijing s vast Tiana men Square to denounce american imperialists to Vietnam. Today China is fighting Vietnam and Wang drives a  car or an american employer studies English in his spare time and enjoys watching Mickey mouse and Donald Duck cartoons on China Central television every sunday night with his family fifteen years alter the Shanghai communique Laid the fragile groundwork Tor ending 22 years of bitter hostility Sinou s. Relations Are still going Strong. U s ambassador to China Winston lord who accompanied Nixon and National Security adviser Henry Kissinger on the 1972 visit says Iho relationship began with a shared perception of the soviet global threat but now has moved Lar beyond that single Issue. On the chinese Side. Lord said the soviet threat in 1972 was perceived As immediate. Russian and chinese troops Lough serious Boudar clashes in 1969 and Beijing was frightened by the 1968 soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia under the Brezhnev doctrine Beijing also fell it had to counter what to perceived As a Long term soviet goal of encirclement from Indochina to India Afghanistan Mongolia and North Kea. Moreover China was just emerging from the most violent years of its cultural revolution and was isolated diplomatically from the rest of the world. Ii needed friends. On the us Side it was largely geopolitical As Well lord said of Washington s decision to Contact Beijing. Not As an anti soviet move but As a part of a balancing of the soviet Union in  Washington believed thai establishing contacts with China would Force Moscow to think twice before launching any adventures in Asia and also would serve As an incentive for the soviets to seek belter relations with the United states. Lord said the Sirio a s. Relationship still helps to maintain a global balance wifi the soviet Union though both Beijing and Washington shy away from any impression they Are Aries removing China As an enemy Means that to Don l have to plan for a two Froni coordinated War and that our diplomatic As Well a our economic and military resources can he redeployed to said. To the extent int we have Good relations with the chinese it can help us to have better relations with the soviets " sino-. Military cooperation has developed slowly but steadily since the two nations formally established diplomatic lies Jan. 1,1979. A major Symbol of the growing cooperation came last november when three  Navy warships paid a port Call to China for the first Lime since the 1949 communist takeover. Beijing also is buying $500 million in . Avionics equipment to upgrade about 50 of its f-8 Jet fighters. A chinese official who requested anonymity agreed with lord that sine , ties began with a shared View of Iho soviet Throat but have expanded far beyond that. In 1972, one could not identify any common concerns Between our two countries other than the soviet  the official said but alter 15 years. The relationship is no longer based on one common concern. Now. The extensive economic and political relations Between China and the United slates have taken us far beyond just geopolitical  while Beijing still views the soviet Union As a primary threat relations Between the two communist giants have shown marked signs of a thaw in the past three years. But chinese officials say the United Stales need not worry about another 1950s-style sino Soviel Alliance and Beijing insists relations with the Kremlin will not be normalized until three major obstacles Are removed the presence of soviet troops in Afghanistan Moscow a support for Vietnam s occupation of Cambodia and the heavy militarization of the sino soviet Border. In recent years there have been few High level exchanges Between China end the soviet Union but Many Between China and the United Stales said a chinese Diplomat who also noted pointedly that an expected 1986 Exchange of foreign ministers Between Moscow and Beijing never came off. The soviet Union is our very important neighbor and China is proceeding from its own interests he said. We must improve relations but they won t return to whal they were in the 1950a. China is surrounded by soviet military Power and its Security is threatened by the soviet  to the 15 years since the Shanghai communique expressed the Hope that sino-. Contacts could be expanded bilateral Trade has grown from $95 million in 1972 to $8.3 billion last year according to , figures. The United states has become the largest foreign investor in the people s Republic with 12.7 billion in investments and Washington has Given China most favored nation trading status. Educational and cultural exchanges have mushroomed since 1979,and an estimated 30.000 chinese have studied in american Urve Reilee Harj of ail the nation s students abroad. Another 1,000102,000 americans travel to China each year to study. Chanase sailors in a Togao tie up the .s. Reaves a guided missile frigate during Toto tint . Naval port Call to a chinese port last november but alter 15 years one major obstacle still haunts  ties american support for nationalist Taiwan. Beijing claims sovereignty Over the Island which it has considered a rebel province since the nationalist forces of Gen. Chiang Kai Shek fled there following the communist takeover of the Mainland in 1949. Though the United slates broke Oft diplomatic relations with Taiwan when Washington established formal lies with Beijing in 1979, the americans Nave continued Selling defensive arms to Taipei while the 1979 Taiwan relations act passed by Congress mandates thai the United states continue to Supply Taiwan with necessary defensive weapons an August 1982 communique negotiated Between the chinese and the Reagan administration commits Washington to gradually reduce those supplies. Military sales to Taiwan have been reduced by roughly $20 million a year from a 1983 base of $800 million. Stale department figures show. But that Rale of decrease aroused considerable ire in Beijing along with recent reports that the United slates is providing sophisticated technology for the development of an advanced Jet fighter to replace Taiwan s aging Fleet of ,-supplied f-5s. A chinese official noting thai Washington pledged to reduce the arms sales both qualitatively end quantitatively said Beijing also is concerned about reports that , experts Are assisting Taiwan on defense projects. Beijing says in seeks peaceful Reni Licarion with Taiwan but will not Rule out the use of Force because that would leave Taipei with even less incentive to negotiate Beijing says the Taiwan question is an internal matter that must be solved by he chinese people but in also has called on Washington to exert pressure on Taipei to enter into peaceful negotiations. Since the United states does play a role in Taiwan we would Hope that in could be a positive one instead of negative the chinese official said. Taiwan is sure to be a topic in Beijing this wok during a visit there by Secretary of state Geog Shultz Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday March 1,1987