DATE=9/9/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-U-S (L-O)
NUMBER=2-253640
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  China says its relationship with the United 
States has improved, as President Clinton and Chinese 
President Jiang Zemin prepare to meet (Saturday) at an 
Asian economic summit in New Zealand.  But -- as V-O-
A's Stephanie Ho reports -- a Chinese spokesman 
repeated Beijing's calls for Washington to provide 
what he called a more-satisfactory answer for the May 
seventh bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.

TEXT:  Washington and Beijing had been moving closer.  
President Clinton visited China last year and Chinese 
President Jiang went to the United States in 1997.

However, ties between the two countries turned sour 
four months ago, after U-S missiles destroyed the 
Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.  Washington says the 
bombing was accidental, but Beijing says it is not 
satisfied with that explanation.

At a regular news briefing Thursday, Chinese Foreign 
Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi -- speaking through an 
interpreter -- indicated relations between the two 
countries are starting to get better.

            // SUN / INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //

We have taken note that recently, the atmosphere for 
China-U-S relations have somewhat improved.

            // END ACTUALITY //

The Chinese spokesman added his government still wants 
Washington to do more to make up for the bombing of 
China's mission in Belgrade.  He says the United 
States must punish the perpetrators and give what he 
says is a more satisfactory account to the Chinese 
people.

Still, Mr. Sun pointed to the resumption of talks on 
China's entry into the World Trade Organization as one 
sign of improvement.

U-S Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and 
China's Minister of Foreign Trade, Shi Guangsheng, are 
discussing the W-T-O issue on the sidelines of a 
regional economic meeting in New Zealand.

The Chinese spokesman refused to say what China sees 
as the next step.

            // SUN / INTERPRETER ACTUALITY //

It is very hard for me to make predictions about the 
prospects of the negotiations.

            // END ACTUALITY //

When Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited the United 
States in April, the two sides were close, but failed 
to clinch, a W-T-O deal.  Not only did the U-S 
government finally reject the Chinese proposal, it 
further angered Beijing by publicizing the proposed 
Chinese concessions.

Following the May bombing of the Chinese embassy in 
Belgrade, Beijing began to make noises that it was 
preparing to back down from some of the more ambitious 
offers. 

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Trade 
Thursday threw cold water on U-S demands that the 
country make even further concessions.  He maintained 
that China still wants to be admitted into the W-T-O 
under the easier terms accorded developing nations and 
will insist on its own stand.  (signed)

NEB/HO/ wd



09-Sep-1999 06:15 AM LOC (09-Sep-1999 1015 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.