Published by: World Tibet Network News Saturday, November 8, 1997

TIME FOR KIDS, November 7, 1997

The smiling grandfather who came to America last week looked a lot like an ordinary tourist. He stopped in Hawaii to hula and swim and went on to check out historical sites in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. But nearly everywhere he went, crowds of angry protesters shouted, urging him to stop bullying the people of Tibet, or to give his nation more freedom. Ordinary tourists usually get more respect.

The visitor was Jiang Zemin (Jee-ahng Dzuh-meen), the President of China, who has ruled since former leader Deng Xiaoping (Dung Shah-oh-ping) died last February. Jiang's visit was the first by a Chinese leader since Deng's trip 12 years ago. China and the U.S. do not enjoy friendly relations. Jiang met with President Clinton to try to improve trade and understanding between their nations.

No Freedom In China

Under its first communist leader, Mao Zedong (Maow Zay-dung), who took control in 1949, China was cut off from much of the world. Many nations disapproved of the way China limited its people's freedom.

After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping began to open China to trade with other nations. He allowed some Chinese to start their own businesses. Relations with the U.S. and other countries slowly improved. But the Chinese still could not criticize their government, choose national leaders or even have more than one child.

The Chinese people began to hope for greater freedom. In 1989 thousands demonstrated in Tiananmen Square in the capital, Beijing. They wanted democracy and freedom to express their views. Their protest was squashed with tanks and guns. The U.S. was furious that China had turned military weapons on its own people. To punish China's leaders, the U.S. cut back on trade.

Now both countries' leaders say it's time to talk. Last week they did agree on some business deals. U.S. companies are eager to sell more goods to China's 1.2 billion people. Jiang said China would buy U.S.-made airplanes and, possibly, nuclear-energy reactors. He said China would stop selling nuclear technology to nations that might use it to make weapons.

But the two men did not agree on the issue of human rights. Jiang refused to apologize for the killings in Tiananmen Square. He paid no attention to American protesters, including some Congressmen who want him to free prisoners jailed for their political beliefs. Nor is he interested in granting religious freedom to the people of Tibet, in southwestern China.

"It is just natural for our two countries to hold different views on some issues," said Jiang. China, replied Clinton, was "on the wrong side of history." For now, the leaders agree on one key thing: to keep talking.