European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns the stars and Stripe Walter r. Mears Bush May pay High Price for his China policy while the Cost of teenage mutant ninja Turtle dolls from China probably wont be going up there May be an increase in the political Price of president Bush a policy toward Beijing. It could be avoided if there was a gesture from the chinese government to match the administrations move to maintain Trade preferences but there is no sign of that. Bush has been Able to withstand challenges to his decision to continue the favourable Trade terms that have applied to China since 1980, just As he blocked by veto an earlier attempt to toughen sanctions against China for the repression of democracy demonstrators. Even so his critics have the politically scalable Side As the president said himself there is an a impulse to lash out in outrage that we All this time the Issue is his decision on Extension of most favored nation Trade terms to China. As Bush said in announcing the decision on May 24 a two weeks before the june 3 anniversary of the Tiana men Square massacre a most favored nation treatment is not a special favor or Concession it is the treatment extended to almost every trading partner. It Means that no other nation will be extended better Tariff and Trade terms and the United states applies it to All but a handful of countries. But it applies to communist nations Only if the administration certifies that they permit their citizens to emigrate freely and that determination is subject to annual renewal. The soviet Union does not have most favored nation status because its emigration Laws do not yet meet the requirement. China a do Bush said. But Bush critics insist the status should be denied China to punish human rights abuses. Bush says that would Hurt the wrong people and Only make things worse isolating China and damaging the Economy of Hong Kong Congress could overrule his decision by adopting a disapproval Resolution within 60 Days. But that would be subject to veto and it would take two thirds votes in both houses to override a veto. . Imports from China totalled about $12 billion last year with most of that Trade moving through Hong Kong. China buys about $6 billion a year in . Products. Chinese imports would be subject to sharply increased . Tariffs without the Man status. The duty on toys for example would go from 12 percent to 70 percent. That a where the ninja Turtle dolls come in. Hong 1 Thuc Fellows Arfy eat Kipf fkr a 1 Kong traders cite that big seller As an example saying that an end to the current Trade status would boost the Price from $5 to $9 apiece. Bush said some opponents of his earlier decision to impose Only limited sanctions on China agree with him this time that the favourable trading status should be continued. But some of those converts had said the renewal should be conditional and accompanied by a firm demand for human rights Reform. The administration said the Law did no to provide any Way to make the Extension provisional. Bush said China had taken modest Steps including the release of 211 people arrested in the democracy demonstrations and the lifting of martial Law in Tibet. A while we Welcome these and earlier Steps they Are lets face it far from adequate and i am not Basing my decision on the Steps that the chinese have taken so far a Bush said. A most important of All As we Mark the anniversary of Tiana men we must realize that by maintaining our involvement with China we will continue to promote the reforms for which the victims of Tiana men gave their Bush said the Only message in his action is that isolation is bad economic involvement Good. His critics see another message. A the Hope for Freedom in China is As Remote today As it was 10 months ago a said Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine a and what is worse the administration has signalled to the chinese leadership and the watching world that it views their actions with Mitchell said Bush a policy has been secretive inconsistent a and its outcome has been dismal administration policy Over the year since the Clamp Down and killings in Beijing has been one of limited sanctions that Bush said remain basically unchanged. But there has been a gradual easing of those strictures on Trade and International Loans. Shortly after Bush announced the suspension of High level exchanges of top officials two of his senior aides went secretly to Beijing. They went Back in Early december White their july trip remained secret even from Mitchell and the other congressional leaders they briefed on the second trip. Congress passed a Bill to extend the visas of about 30,000 chinese students studying in the United states Bush vetoed it saying he would do the same thing by executive order. Instead he did it with guidelines for immigration authorities putting it into an executive order this Spring. The difference is largely symbolic but symbols Are part of the message. A we continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in China a Bush said in a report to Congress which had asked for an account of the Impact of . Sanctions. The report skirted the question saying the Impact was difficult to measure precisely. Precisely or imprecisely nobody has come up with evidence of real results. Editor s note a Walter r. Mears vice president and columnist Lor the a has reported on Washington and National politics for More than 25 years William Safire Gorbachev s changing world is in a tailspin actors have a device called a playing against the words a conveying to the audience the opposite of what the actor is saying. That is what took place in sundays dramatic joint news conference. The Central fact of our time is the Triumph of capitalism Over communism the Central business of today a diplomacy is to make sure that having won the cold War we do not Jose the peace that comes with Healing in its wings the Way to lose the peace is to fail to make it difficult for superpower totalitarianism to Rise again. Step one is to recognize publicly who won and who lost. In the joint hour of self revelation a soviet journalist picked up on a theme drummed out in this space a that Gorbachev has been exploiting his weakness to induce our support a and asked the leaders to define a a position of Gorbachev expostulated that the very thought that Bush could a dictate Quot to him was absurd a he explained that speculation about his imminent departure came because a we Are cleaning up our but the unmistakable impression that came through his words was better not take advantage of the loser. A a we re not looking for winners or losers a George Bush chimed in his solicitude acting against his words. That was the right and gracious thing to say but such statements Are made Only by winners. Step two is to decide the Point at which pressure toward the irreversibility of change a which requires an end to dictatorial arrogance a becomes pressure toward intolerable humiliation which could Breed resentment and War. Doves think now is the time to ease up to Shore up the Hamlet of Moscow with Trade concessions and treaties showing Trust on nuclear arms Hawks believe we have not yet nearly reached the Point of dictatorships no return. The Pride of the loser was directly touched on in another question a if you accept Germany in nato Quot asked no cd a John Cochran Quot it will be a humiliating admission for the soviet people that you be lost the cold War. Is this a problem for you a Gorbachev denied whining saying a it would be humiliating for the soviet Union to pass its hat around a he seems fixed on a humiliation Quot a and introduced the notion of a synchronization of internal and external developments a transparent device to delay the removal of his 360,000 troops occupying East Germany. Too proud to withdraw doves May buy that and urge understanding of his emotional need Tor the West to Salve his wounded Pride by transferring troops from nato to a regional United nations called Csc with a huge Ransom thrown in to build housing for the Homecoming officers. But Hawks believe Moscow should be pressed harder to get All occupation troops out of Stalin a conquests including the Baltic quickly Only then would the March of Reform be unstoppable. Nor has the declining superpower yet Learned to Stop issuing ultimatums to smaller nations. A pro Arab advocacy journalist asked a beyond words what guarantees can you give the palestinians that decisions you made on emigration will not result in the further usurpation of their lands a a either. Our concern will be heeded in Israel a warned Gorbachev or else we must give further thought to. Issuing permits for How a that for arrogance either Israel makes the disputed territories off limits to All soviet refugees in effect giving up claim to its West Bank or Gorbachev will slam the Gates shut on a million jews seeking Freedom. Hawks suggest he get his Trade Bill from Saddam Hussein no nato troops in East Germany no jews in the West Bank a where else does the losers writ run to Long Range missiles of course. He promised Ronald Reagan he would Cut his ss-18 Force in half but in the meantime has doubled the Power of the remaining half a keeping his first strike advantage intact. Our main Hope to reduce the inclination of some future russian Leader to launch a nuclear attack was to prevent testing of those heavy missiles no testing Means no reliability and a potential War starter could not be sure All his missiles would Rise out of their holes. But the proud loser demanded the right to test and the cold War Winner could not Bear the thought of humiliating him. At least it was not a total arms control Summit Paul Wolfowitz of defense in a told persuaded Bush to insist on conventional arms deadlines and the Trade bal tic linkage is in the hands of Congress. Not bad considering James Baker s Moscow giveaways not Good either considering that we won the cold War. C naw York times
