International Herald Tribune, Thursday, May 29, 1997, page 3

NASHUA, New Hampshire. Vice President Al Gore defended President Bill Clinton's decision to reextend China's trading privileges against criticism that the policy ignores human rights violations. He said thhe administration was "placing a bet" that economic liberalization there would "build pressures toward political liberalization" for the Chinese people. Reacting to an attack on the administration's China policy by the House minority leader, Richard Gephardt, Democrat of Missouri, a likely challenger to the vice president for the Democratic nomination in 2000, Mr. Gore said Tuesday that neither he nor the president was satisfied with the pace of China's progress on human rights. "What they choose to do is not entirely in our control," he said. "But the question is, how do we best influence them?".

Mr. Gore offered his defense of the president's policies as he spent the day touring New Hampshire, traditionally the site of the first presidential primary. Throughout the day, Mr. Gore played loyal vice president while looking after his political interests. He refused to comment on the Supreme Court's decision in the Paula Corbin Jones case other than to say it would not deter the president from "doing what he was elected to do," held an antismoking event at an elementary school, promoted the economy at the opening of high technology facility and spoke to the Nashua Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, often the site of speeches by Republican presidential candidates.

At ever stop, he sought to draw attention to New Hampshire's booming economy, noting unemployment has fallen during Mr. Clinton's presidency from about 8 percent to just over 2 percent. He also defended the balanced budget agreement negotiated by the White House and congressional Republicans as crucial to the continuation of economic growth and investiment. Mr. Gore may not have wanted to talk about presidential politics, but everywhere he went his hosts seemed to bring it up, even at an elementary school in Manchester, where he was greeted by pupils chenting, "We want Gore!" (WP)