World Tibet Network News Tuesday, June 30, 1998

By Ramesh Chandran

WASHINGTON: Tuesday 30 June 1998 (Times of India) -- From Shanghai and Beijing, senior officials of the Clinton entourage now travelling in China such as the Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger have been basking in the after glow of the "extraordinary" debate between President Clinton and President Jiang Zemin. Ms Albright informed Sunday television talk shows here that both the joint press conference as well as Mr Clinton's speech at Beijing University were "remarkable" adding that "it's going to be one of those press conferences that is talked about for a long time to come."

For his part the Dalai Lama, interviewed in Leh by one US newspaper whilst he was visiting Tibetan refugees, stated his hopes were raised by the "summit debate." However, the administration's many critics of its China policy back home had a vastly different interpretation; Mr Clinton's words were mostly "hollow" and that he had done the "barest minimum" possible in talking candidly to his hosts. The Dalai Lama was quoted by the New York Times correspondent from Leh assaying referring to the joint press conference: "Through this live show, many Chinese will have gained a better awareness of President Clinton's feelings about Tibet, and also President Jiang's feelings, and I think that can been ormously helpful in the long run." In the past 18 months, there have been low-profile efforts to revive contacts between Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama and it was these attempts through private channels that Mr Jiang referred to in his comments about "several channels of communication."

The important difference in Chinese attitude? They now opted to "listen" rather than "lecture", maintained the Tibetan spiritual leader. As for President Jiang's demand that the Dalai Lama recognise the Chinese "sovereignty over Tibet and Taiwan," he told the Times that he would need to consult with his senior aides at Dharamsala adding "I've made it very clear that I'm not seeking independence for Tibet; I am seeking genuine autonomy and this indirectly recognises Chinese sovereignty." The Dalai Lama also was attributed to making some comments in typical philosophical vein: "In 20 yearstime, I'll be 83, just an old man with a stick, moving like a sloth bear. While I'm alive, I am fully committed to autonomy..." After his passing inten or 20 years time, the Dalai Lama wondered who could persuade the Tibetan radicals pointing out: "If the Dalai Lama is not there, the Tibetan issue can go completely out of control."

Whilst senior aides and some Democrats have gone on a media relations offensive about the Clinton visit and much of the reporting in the U.S. media have extolled the President's "candour" and his ability to navigate the sensitive issues, there have been many other voices of dissonance amongst his domestic critics. They have repeatedly spoken about "missed opportunities" claiming the US President had only done the "barest minimum" possible. The writer Bette Bao Lord, the head of the human rights group Freedom House and who was born in Shanghai referring to the joint press conference of presidents Clinton and Jiang stated: "This was a piece of choreographed theatre for domestic consumption on both sides, to dampen the decibels of criticism."

Ms Lord, who is a highly respected authority on China who is al soon the board of governors of Radio Free Asia whose three staffers were denied visas by the Chinese authorities said: "There was an element of role reversal with Jiang trying to sound like a good old American pal and Clinton trying to look reserved and controlled, the way a foreign devil thinks the Chinese want to see a foreign statesman." In an editorial comment titled "Talk show host in Tiananmen", the Washington Times said: "Mr Clinton ranged from the serious to the goofy; he stated the American view of the Tiananmen Square massacre that `the use of force and the tragic loss of life was wrong' though he did not of course, mention who used force against whom....if only the world were a talk show, Mr Clinton would solve all problems. But its not."

Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation", Congressman Christopher Cox who is heading the investigation into sensational allegations that American missile guidance technology was illegally transferred to China, said "not with standing historical progress, not much substantively has changed." Whilst Senator Fred Thompson, speaking on "Fox News Sunday" said whilst he was pleased that Mr Clinton had referred to human rights issues, pointed out, "frankly, it was the least he could do under the circumstances." Representative Nancy Pelosi, although a Democrat but who is one of the most trenchant critics of Mr Clinton's controversial China policy, branded the Sino-U.S. summit as a "victory for Mr Jiang." He maintained that Beijing had made few if any concessions on trade but had "accrued all the benefits of standing side by side with the President of the United States" while another outspoken critic, Gary Bauer, president of the Conservative Family Research Council, the lasting symbol of all the pomp and circumstance of

the high-profile summitry would be the "honour guard" accorded to President Clinton at Tiananmen Square.

In an article titled "Jiang's stunning triumph", William Safire the acerbic columnist of the New York Times wrote: "President Jiang was clearly dominant. This was his show. He was so confident before hand that his American guest would allude to repression in the most gingerly way that he directed it to be shown live on state television...". The columnist also attacked Mr Clinton for his "craven abandonment" of presidential tradition by not insisting on taking along the three reporters of Radio Free Asia. To remedy the lapse, Mr Safire suggested: "Given Clinton's pusillanimity, how should Congress respond? The RFA budget is now $ 22 million; given $ 2 million more, we could broadcast an additional sixhours a week in Tibetan and expand the service in Uighur to the Turkic Chinese in far-off Xinjiang."