Growing Gap in U.S.-China Relations Narrows

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visited China on the 28th and 29th, holding a series of consecutive talks with Jiang Zemin and top Chinese officials and agreeing to increase talks to improve U.S.-China relations.

Arriving at Beijing after his stop in Korea, Secretary Powell met Chairman Jiang Zemin at the People`s Democratic Party Hall on the 28th and announced that both nations have agreed to build a constructive and cooperative relationship. The highest U.S. official to visit China after the George W. Bush administration began, Secretary Powell personally conveyed Bush’s message to Chairman Jiang saying, ``U.S. relations with China has been strained. I plan to visit Beijing at the beginning of October.``

Secretary Powell confirmed that President Bush will visit Beijing in October after attending the APEC Summit Conference which will open in Shanghai.

Secretary Powell met with Chairman Zhang, Premier Zhu Liungji, Vice Premier Chan Chi’chun, and Minister of Foreign Relations T’angzha Shui’an in relay conferences, agreeing to move forward in talks starting next month if a comprehensive agreement can be reached on four main issues of human rights, arms reduction, economy and trade, and national defense.

Also negotiations regarding the U.S. naval airplane force will be held next month and human rights talks between the two nations which came to a stop after the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in the former Yugoslavia could begin once again, reports foreign affairs experts.

The achievements of Secretary Powell`s visit to China include the resolution of conflict around China1s export of military technology, reestablishing talks on human rights and military exchange between the two countries.

Although China pledged not to export missile technology and military weapons to nations developing nuclear capability like Pakistan last November, the Bush administration has criticized China for continuing to do so. The two countries took Secretary Powell`s visit as an opportunity to establish the possibility of addressing the issues of large quantity of weapons of mass destruction and arms reduction by mutually agreeing to begin expert negotiations immediately. Even the controversy surrounding the arrest of the Chinese American scientist was resolved when he was released just before Secretary Powell`s visit. Yet Chinese experts predict that the initially turbulent relations between U.S. and China with the inauguration of the Bush administration will take time to restore.

Secretary Powell spoke at a news conference after his meeting with President Jiang, clearly stating that the U.S. will continue to supply arms to Taiwan and that ``there remain many issues to address`` regarding proliferation of missiles. Also there were no changes on the issue of China`s opposition to U.S.`s missile defense system.

Lee Jong-Hwan ljhzip@donga.com