Clinton's China odyssey

Despite criticism from Republicans on China's alleged role in Democratic party fund-raising, U.S. President Bill Clinton stuck to his guns and left yesterday for Xi'an, an ancient Chinese capital city, before attending a summit meeting with his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin in Beijing tomorrow.

Clinton, who is accompanied by his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, is taking a delegation of about 50 members of his administration. including Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Agriculture Secretary Daniel Glickman and Commerce Secretary William Daley.

Clinton's agenda for the nine-day trip, many believe, will cover both bilateral and international issues.

Bilaterally, the Sino-American summit will focus on more open and balanced trade agreements -- which for several years have favored China -- the improvement of human rights in the world's most populous nation, as well as the infringement of American intellectual property rights by the Chinese.

International issues at the top of Clinton's agenda include regional security in the wake of recent nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, peaceful dialog and efforts regarding the Korean Peninsula and the financial crises currently blighting several Asian countries.

Washington will certainly reappeal to Beijing to use peaceful means to resolve the Taiwan issue, despite the U.S. commitment of acknowledging Beijing as the sole representative of the Chinese government.

Aware of the heavy political baggage he has to carry during his China's trip, Clinton sought advice from two U.S. foreign policy experts. Although Clinton said he was ready for the China trip, the first by an American president since the bloody Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, Clinton's odyssey will not come up with a political bonanza for his administration.

Many analysts believe that the only way Washington can have any influence with Beijing on sensitive issues is through constructive engagement. As Clinton himself has said: "One of the most important benefits of our engagement with China is that it gives us an effective means to urge China's leaders, publicly and privately, to change course."

For China, Clinton's visit -- the fact that he will be officially welcomed in Tiananmen Square -- strengthens Beijing's stance on the 1989 crackdown on prodemocracy students.

The visit also boosts China's image and its growing role in the international arena.

For the United States, China's stable economy and vast market brings special interest to and alternatives for American companies whose operations have been saturated or even weakened due to the unresolved economic crises in the region.

In the final analysis, improved ties between two major powers such as the United States and China are expected to help enhance political and economic stability in the Asia-Pacific region.