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Subject: U.S. Plans Trade Trip To Beijing;Commerce Secretary Seeks To Revive Joint
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 10:44:02 EST
Message-ID: <2.1992Nov26.104402@AmeriCast.com>
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U.S. Plans Trade Trip To Beijing;Commerce Secretary Seeks To Re-
vive Joint Panel<By Daniel Southerland=Washington Post Staff
Writer=

 President Bush will send Commerce Secretary Barbara Franklin to
China next month on a trip that could bring about stronger U.S.-
Chinese trade relations, it was announced yesterday.

 Although Chinese exports to the United States are at record lev-
els, and the United States gives China normal trading privileges,
top-level dialogue on trade and commercial issues was broken off
by this country following Beijing's bloody crackdown on protes-
ters in the spring of 1989.  Political pressures in Congress have
favored placing conditions on normal trade relations, but Bush
administration officials contend that reestablishing a full di-
alogue is essential for the United States' interests. This coun-
try is running a trade deficit with China that could reach $18
billion this year. In addition, U.S. officials are anxious to
work out the details on last month's wide-ranging agreement that
lowers Chinese trade barriers to the United States.

 In announcing the trip yesterday, Franklin said a central aim is
to reconvene the Joint U.S.-China Commission on Trade and Com-
merce, whose activities have been suspended. The commission held
regular annual meetings involving commerce and trade secretaries
from both governments between 1984 and 1988.

 Franklin's trip would be the highest-level U.S. mission to China
since then-Secretary of State James Baker's visit to Beijing last
November.  She will visit Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong Dec.
16 to Dec. 22, and will be accompanied by senior representatives
of the State Department, National Security Council and the office
of the U.S. Trade Representative.

 The recent completion of the wide-ranging "market access" trade
agreement would phase out most Chinese import licenses, quotas
and other trade barriers.  Franklin said this made it "an optimal
time to push forward" with reconvening the joint trade and com-
merce commission.

 "This is a major advance," said Richard Brecher, director of
business advisory services at the United States-China Business
Council, a nonprofit organization that assists American companies
in China.



A Commerce Department official said that the transition team of
President-elect Clinton was not informed of the Franklin trip.

 "Our view is that this is the culmination of Bush administration
policy and follows on the trade agreements we've signed," the of-
ficial said.  "It's timely because our trade deficit is growing.
Our suppliers have multiple opportunities to do business in Chi-
na, which is the world's fastest-growing large economy."

 Clinton indicated during the election campaign that he would be
tougher on human rights issues with China than the Bush adminis-
tration has been, but Clinton also said he did not want to iso-
late China.

 Last week, Clinton told a press conference that Bush had made
some progress with China by adopting a tougher stance on impor-
tant issues such as market access and prison labor.

 Franklin said that while her trip would focus on commercial is-
sues, "we are mindful of human rights concerns. In encouraging
China's economic reforms and integration into the world economic
system, we do so in the belief that economic freedom will inevit-
ably lead to political freedom."



Sydney Jones, executive director of Asiawatch, the New York-based
human rights organization, said that if reports that China has
broken off its dialogue on human rights with the United States
are correct, the Franklin trip "seems to me to be an unnecessary
throwaway to the Chinese." The New York Times reported Tuesday
from Beijing that in a rebuff to Bush and a warning to Clinton,
China appeared to have suspended its discussions with the United
States on human rights issues, including American inquiries about
political prisoners.

 Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos, commenting on the Times
report yesterday, said that he was troubled by it and that "it
shows I think why we need to have a firmer hand" with China.02:04
11-26C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

For more information, send-email to American Cybercasting Cor-
poration (usa@AmeriCast.COM)