With Issues Galore, Gore Faces Diplomatic Test In China (3/23/97)
Gore's Poll Numbers Dip (3/14/97)
Gore Says Nothing Wrong With His Fund-Raising Calls (3/3/97)
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Gore Touches Down In China
It's the highest-level U.S. visit in eight years
BEIJING (AllPolitics, March 24) -- Vice President Al Gore arrived in China for a four-day state visit, and suggested that it's vitally important for China and the U.S. to keep talking, despite nagging disagreements over trade, human rights and other issues.
"The landscape of U.S-China relations is filled with many rivers, some flowing together, others flowing apart," Gore said in a statement after he arrived Monday night. "I have traveled here to reaffirm the vital importance of relations between our nations, and to continue to build a lasting peace between China and the United States."
Gore met with Premier Li Peng, and attended a ceremony to announce China's purchase of passenger jets from Seattle's Boeing Corp. Beforehand, there had been some White House anxiety about whether Gore should participate in the ceremony, because of the recent controversy over alleged Chinese involvement in U.S. politics.
Gore is scheduled to meet with President Jiang Zemin on Wednesday. Among the issues on the vice president's agenda are human rights, the environment, a possible visit by Bill Clinton to China next year, and the controversy over alleged Chinese political contributions. China has repeatedly denied any attempt to influence U.S. elections by directing corporations to make illegal contributions.
Gore also wants to encourage China not to roll back personal liberties when it takes control of Hong Kong from Britain on July 1.
While the Clinton Administration believes that engagement is the best way to drive home its concerns, some critics believe the U.S. has been too patient and unwilling to criticize China publicly.
Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), a likely Democratic presidential candidate and frequent critic of China's human relations policies, is opposed to renewing favorable trade status for China later this year.
The last high-level U.S. visit to China was by President George Bush, a few months before the June 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.