Week of September 15, 2000
Week of September 15, 2000
The U.S. and China This Week
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U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: PNTR Bill Clears Amendments, Final Vote Day Decided
SUMMARY: The Senate ended two weeks of amendment proposals to the
longstanding bill which would grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR)
to China, clearing the way for a final vote in the Senate on September 18.
On September 13, the final amendment calling for sanctions on China for
alleged weapons sales to Pakistan and other countries was defeated. Senator
Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Trent Lotts?(R-MS) nonproliferation measure was
considered the last major hurdle before the Senate could hold a final vote
on the China trade bill. The bill has been for many months and still is
considered to be approved in the Senate without much difficulty. A recent
Reuters poll found 69 out of 100 Senators in favor of the bill. The vote
next week will end a long and arduous battle by supporters on and off the
hill to push the bill through both chambers of Congress.
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U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS: China Helps U.S. Find Missing Soldiers
SUMMARY: U.S. officials have said that China is willing to help the United States find
American soldiers from the Korean War who were declared missing in action
(MIA) or prisoners of war (POW).
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged for Robert Jones, U.S. deputy
assistant secretary of defense, to interview several Chinese who ran POW camps
in North Korea. "I believe that the Chinese government holds the key to
information about our POW’s held during the Korean War," Jones said.
Chinese cooperation has been crucial in order to find out what happened to
about 8,200 missing American soldiers from the Korean War, 2,300 of which were
POWs. Jones believes questions about where the prisoners were held, if they
were buried and if any may still be alive could be answered by Chinese camp
workers and documents.
The Chinese have also provided information and assistance in the recovery of
other missing American warplanes that crashed in Tibet during WWII and in
southern China during the Vietnam War.
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DOMESTIC: Explosion Kills 60 in Xinjiang
SUMMARY: On a busy road in a western suburb of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, a truck
carrying explosives for disposal blew up killing 60 people, injuring some 173
others and scorching cars and homes near the site of the blast.
A bystander reported identifying the truck as a military vehicle, but
government officials have refused to confirm the description. However,
investigators believe the explosion was an accident and ruled out terrorism
after a forensic examination found no evidence of an artificial triggering
device.
Sporadic violence has occurred in Xinjiang where rebellious Muslim Uighurs
have rioted, exploded bombs, and committed assassinations for years. The
Uighur minorities have been struggling for better treatment by the all Han
Chinese government, while militants are calling for an independent Muslim
state they call East Turkestan. The separatists have been getting support
from militants in Afghanistan and are considered the most violent internal
threat to China’s security.
On Thursday Premier Zhu Rongji, who was coincidentally in Xinjiang for an
inspection trip during the explosion, called for a crackdown on separatists in
the troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang. "We have to struggle firmly
against any act that disturbs national unity and social stability" said Mr.
Zhu. He also stated that an "iron fist" must be used to stop religious
fundamentalists and terrorist that are inhibiting the government’s plan to
develop backward western provinces.
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DOMESTIC: Widespread Corruption Continues to Worry Government
SUMMARY: President Jiang has ordered an all-out war against rampant corruption within
the party and vowed that high rank or blood ties would not protect officials
from prosecution.
Jiang’s declarations are being emphasized after the execution of the most
senior Communist Party official, former parliament vice chairman Cheng Kejie,
for accepting almost five million dollars in bribes while he was governor of
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The Xiamen scandal hearings also began this week, amid signs of nervousness
among mainland leaders who are unsure how the trials will unfold. The state
media has only released limited information about Xiamen scandal, and has
instead been reporting on less significant corruption cases. Furthermore, a
popular mainland web site has posted warnings from the Propaganda Department
to use only official reports on the trials, to "avoid any threats of
stability".
The Xiamen corruption scandal was busted up last April by a team of central
government investigators. The scam is centered on the Hong Kong-based YuanHua
Group, which allegedly smuggled diesel fuel, tobacco, cars and others products
into Fujian by paying off mainland officials. According to the official
press, some 200 to 600 government official are thought to be implicated in the
scandal, while 10 people may face the death penalty.
The Xinhua news agency reported that police have uncovered 277,000 corruption
cases in China since 1994.
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The U.S. and China This Week
uscpf@uscpf.org
Last updated: 22 September 2000
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