China and Bill Clinton

The claim by a Taiwanese-American, Johnny Chung, that he funneled money to the U.S. Democratic Party from an executive of China Aerospace, has created such a firestorm in Washington that it now clouds the upcoming China visit by President Bill Clinton.

Nothing, it seems, is more sensational and sinister in the U.S. capital than a plot by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to subvert or manipulate the U.S. political system, as the allegation implies. It seems to be taken for granted that China Aerospace is indeed a PLA company. But is this true? That answer is as true as a claim that the Pentagon controls Boeing Co. or Hughes Corp.

-- The Business Times, Singapore