DATE=05/27/99
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-11312
     TITLE=MORE ON U-S / CHINA SPYING        
    BYLINE=GARY EDQUIST
 TELEPHONE=619-2702
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

CONTENT=

INTRO:  EDITORIAL WRITERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE CONTINUING TO 
COMMENT ON THE RELEASE (EARLIER THIS WEEK/TUESDAY) OF A 
CONGRESSIONAL REPORT ALLEGING CHINA HAS STOLEN U-S NUCLEAR 
WEAPONS SECRETS.  WE HAVE SOME EDITORIAL COMMENT NOW FROM 
____________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.

TEXT:  WHAT IS NEEDED NOW, WRITES THE "PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" IN 
ITS EDITORIAL ABOUT CHINA'S SPYING EFFORTS, IS -- ACCOUNTABILITY 
AND ACTION.

VOICE:   /// OPT /// CHINA'S DETERMINATION TO GET 
         STATE-OF-THE-ART NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY BY STEALTH -- AND 
         ITS SUCCESS IN DOING SO -- REQUIRE U-S POLICY MAKERS TO 
         TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THIS SO-CALLED "STRATEGIC PARTNER,'
         AS THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CALLS IT. /// END OPT /// 
         ... THIS REPORT IS A REALITY CHECK FOR ANYONE WHO 
         ENVISIONED BILL CLINTON AND CHINESE LEADER JIANG ZEMIN 
         SKIPPING HAND-IN-HAND ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO THE 21ST 
         CENTURY.  THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THIS INEXCUSABLE 
         BREAKDOWN IN SECURITY IS TO HOLD OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE 
         FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND THEIR INACTION AND TO IMPLEMENT 
         THE REPORT'S SOUNDS IDEAS FOR MITIGATING THE HARM AND 
         PREVENTING NEW EPISODES.

TEXT:  THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER, "U-S-A TODAY", WRITES THAT IF 
THERE IS ANY BRIGHT SIDE TO THE SPYING REVELATIONS -- IT IS THAT 
AMERICANS MAY FINALLY BE REALIZING THAT CHINA IS FAR MORE THAN A 
LAND OF CHEAP CALCULATORS AND GARLIC SHRIMP.  ON A MORE SERIOUS 
NOTE, THE NEWSPAPER ADDS:

VOICE:   /// OPT ///  COMPETITION (WITH CHINA) IS INEVITABLE.  
         BUT HOW THE U-S ACTS NOW WILL HELP DETERMINE WHETHER 
         THAT COMPETITION WILL BE MILITARY, LIKE OUR COLD WAR 
         RIVALRY WITH THE SOVIETS, OR HEALTHY, AS HAS BEEN OUR 
         POSTWAR RIVALRY WITH EUROPEAN NATIONS, WHICH TOGETHER 
         ARE OUR ECONOMIC EQUALS.  /// END OPT /// ... THE RIGHT 
         PATH FOR RELATIONS BALANCES ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT THAT 
         PUSHES CHINA TOWARD DEMOCRACY WITH WARINESS ABOUT 
         CHINA'S RISE AND ITS AUTHORITARIAN WAYS.  WITHOUT AN 
         UNDERSTANDING DEEPER THAN WHAT HAS BEEN EVIDENT IN 
         RECENT WEEKS, THE UNITED STATES IS DETERMINED TO CAREEN 
         DANGEROUSLY FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER.

TEXT:  THE NEW YORK POST ADVISES IN ITS EDITORIAL THAT -- HEADS 
MUST ROLL -- AS A RESULT OF THE SPY CASE.

VOICE:   /// OPT /// ... PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS BEEN LESS THAN 
         HONEST WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT THE EXTENT OF 
         CHINESE ESPIONAGE ON HIS WATCH.  AS RECENTLY AS 
         TWO-MONTHS AGO, HE INSISTED THAT ANY SPYING OCCURRED 'IN
         THE MID 1980'S, NOT IN THE 1990S.'  /// END OPT /// ... 
         THE WHITE HOUSE EAGERLY WANTS TO END THE WHOLE THING 
         WITH THE (CONGRESSIONAL) REPORT, WHOSE RECOMMENDATIONS 
         IT HAS ALREADY MOSTLY ADOPTED.  BUT THAT WON'T BE 
         ENOUGH.  HEADS HAVE TO ROLL, STARTING WITH (NATIONAL 
         SECURITY ADVISER) SANDY BERGER'S. ... A SECURITY BREACH 
         OF THIS MAGNITUDE MANDATES PRECISELY THE SORT OF 'BLAME 
         GAME' THAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT WANTS TO  AVOID -- IF
         ONLY TO GUARANTEE THAT FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS WON'T BE 
         SIMILARLY TAXED.

TEXT:  "THE SUN" NEWSPAPER (IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND) SAYS THE 
SPYING REPORT -- CRIES OUT FOR CAREFUL RESPONSE -- WARNING THAT 
-- MAKING CHINA STRONGER HARMS U-S INTERESTS.  THE NEWSPAPER 
URGES:

VOICE:   HIGHEST PRIORITY MUST GO TO PLUGGING TECHNOLOGY LEAKS 
         WITHOUT DAMAGING NATIONAL INTERESTS. ... NO ONE SHOULD 
         BE SURPRISED THAT CHINA WOULD USE IMPROVED RELATIONS 
         WITH THE UNITED STATES TO FERRET OUT NUCLEAR SECRETS, 
         EXPLOITING THE OPEN SOCIETY, BUSINESS CONNECTIONS AND 
         CLASSIC ESPIONAGE.  CHINA REMAINS A COMMUNIST MONOLITH 
         SUSPICIOUS OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

TEXT:  ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL 
COMMENT.

NEB/GE/RAE

27-May-99 1:20 PM EDT (1720 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.