Clinton raises human rights, Korea with President Jiang

Clinton raises human rights, Korea with President Jiang

JAKARTA (Reuter): U.S. President Bill Clinton and Chinese
President Jiang Zemin are in broad agreement over keeping the
Korean peninsula nuclear free but old differences over human
rights remain, U.S. officials said yesterday.

They said Korea was the main topic as the two presidents met
on the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
summit, expected to form the world's largest free-trade zone.

Jiang said the Chinese "welcomed strongly" the U.S. agreement
with North Korea to halt Pyongyang's fledgling nuclear program,
and declared there is "no difference between the United States
and the Chinese" on implementing it, one American official said.

Briefers said Jiang was less forthcoming over human rights.

"The Chinese responded in general terms as they have before,"
one said.

"They say they are trying to extend human rights within their
society, but stability is very important and the sovereignty of
China is very important," he added.

Earlier this year, Clinton separated the issue of human rights
from renewal of China's Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status,
but said he would continue to press for improvements.

Although it loomed as the most sensitive subject in his
meeting with Jiang, it clearly was secondary to other topics.

U.S. officials who briefed reporters on the one-hour meeting
said Clinton and Jiang also discussed bilateral trade issues and
the main aim of the APEC forum, the creation of a free trade zone
throughout the Pacific by the year 2020.

Clinton also raised in general terms a compromise Washington
has offered Beijing to resolve a highly contentious arms issue
that one U.S. official said is a "potential time bomb" for
relations.

The proposal would absolve China of penalties if it disclosed
its sale of M-11 missiles to Pakistan, the officials said.

But if China does not make a full disclosure and the United
States later finds concrete proof of the deal, the United States
will impose sanctions that will cost the communist government
billions of dollars in lost trade, said the officials, who
declined to be identified.

China, which says its arms sales are tiny compared to those of
the United States, denies violating the Missile Technology
Control Regime.