The New York Times - Editorials/Letters

Wednesday, May 12, 199

The Tempest in China

As if the war in Yugoslavia were not complicated enough, President Clinton must now deal with an infuriated China as he tries to fashion a political settlement in the Balkans. That is just one of several serious problems facing Mr. Clinton in the aftermath of last week's mistaken bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Another is China itself, which showed an ominously volatile side in its response to the accidental attack. In his six years as President, Mr. Clinton has not faced a more difficult set of foreign policy challenges.

Only a few days ago, China seemed likely to go along with whatever peace plan Russia and the United States brought to the United Nations Security Council, where Beijing has a veto. Despite accusations of Chinese espionage at American nuclear weapons labs and Chinese efforts to influence the 1996 elections with improper campaign contributions, relations with Beijing seemed stable after last month's visit here by Prime Minister Zhu Rongji.

Today the state of relations is best captured by the image of Ambassador James Sasser staring glumly through the jagged remains of a window in the United States Embassy in Beijing after three days of violent anti-American demonstrations. The protests subsided yesterday, but the ferocity of the attack and the passive police response showed that at least some of China's leaders endorsed the crude response to the bombing. The refusal to accept Mr. Clinton's repeated apologies, and the long delay in broadcasting his remarks to the Chinese people, added to the impression that China was spoiling for a diplomatic donnybrook. The purpose may be to deflect the espionage charges or to draw attention within China away from the 10th anniversary of the democracy movement that was crushed in Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

Clearly, the embassy bombing was a terrible event. Mr. Clinton must insure that the mistake is thoroughly investigated and that the families of the Chinese victims receive American financial assistance. Washington has previously surprised China with unwelcome actions, particularly on the highly sensitive issue of Taiwan. But the violent, stage-managed reaction to the Belgrade bombing was unwarranted. It suggests that improved relations between Washington and Beijing have rested on a dangerously unstable foundation. Given other offensive Chinese behavior, including the effort to steal nuclear secrets, Mr. Clinton should proceed with caution, and a determination to protect American interests, as he tries to repair relations.

The first test is likely to come over Yugoslavia. China is now delaying U.N. consideration of an international peacekeeping force in Kosovo and demanding that NATO suspend bombing before the Security Council acts. Mr. Clinton should continue to insist that Serbian forces end their rampage through Kosovo and start returning to Serbia before the bombing is stopped. The destruction at the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade is lamentable, but not a cause for unwise concessions in Kosovo.