chi@vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (Bo Chi) (01/12/90)
| +---------I __L__ ___/ \ -------I +----+----+ | ___\_\_ | \./ | | -----+- | | | | | __ \/ | --+-- |--- | |---| | I----+----I | I__J/\ | __|__ | | | |---| | | | _____ \ | /| \ | | | L__-| | I I---------J / J \/ | | V | J * C h i n a N e w s D i g e s t * (ND Canada Service) -- Jan. 11 (I), 1990 Table of Contents No. of Lines Brief News: Xu Jiatun to retire from Hong Kong post, etc...............12 1. China said troops will continue to maintain order in Beijing........24 2. Bush/Quayle praise China's lifting of martial law...................46 3. Congress express doubt on China's intention on human rights.........46 4. Albania declare state of emergency in 2nd largest city..............20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brief News ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [AP/lin@neon.stanford.edu] China's liberal de facto ambassador to Hong Kong, Mr. Xu Jiatun, who once wrote an essay praising capitalism, is retiring and will be replaced by Zhou Nan, a 62 year-old conservative foreign affairs official who has been vice foreign minister in charge of European affairs, according to the Xinhua news agency. [UPI/qiangli%servax.bitnet] The United States would favor a less-than-$100 million World Bank loans to China for earthquake reconstruction, but would not support the $750 million in proposed loans for economic development. The White House spokesman said that humanitarian loans did not represent a loosening of economic sanctions imposed on China, nor is it related to Beijing's decision to end martial law. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. China said troops will continue to maintain order in Beijing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [AP/chenh@rose.bacs.indiana.edu] China's army will maintain a strong presence ''to safeguard public security'' in the Beijing area following the lifting of martial law, the government's top spokesman said Thursday. Up to 1,000 troops marched across Tiananmen Square Thursday morning in a show of force. Hours earlier, seven months of martial law ended officially in the capital. The Beijing government spokesman, Yuan Mu, told a news conference there was a ''small increase'' in troop levels in Beijing and its suburbs, but he did not say how many soldiers would be stationed around the capital. Premier Li Peng on Wednesday night announced the end to martial law, imposed in May after pro-democracy crowds took over Beijing's streets. The lifting of martial law had no visible effect on the city except that Tiananmen Square, previously entered only by Chinese with proper documents, again became open to all citizens. Tough anti-protest laws and surveillance of university campuses remain in place. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Bush/Quayle praise China's lifting of martial law ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [AP/lin@neon.stanford.edu,izzyq00@uclamvs.bitnet] President Bush today praised the lifting of martial law in China as a ''very sound step'' and said he will be watching developments there closely. Bush's praise of the Chinese move this week contrasted with criticism from members of Congress who said they doubted Beijing is about to improve its record on human rights. ''I view the lifting of martial law as a very sound step. For those who are interested in the human rights and reform that was on the move, that we'd all like to see go forward, there's no way you can look at that but say it's very positive,'' Bush said. He reiterated that he is not interested in isolating China, adding, ''Of course we welcome the lifting of martial law as a good sign.'' A day earlier, U.S. officials had reacted cautiously to the Chinese move, saying they would reserve judgment until the announcement by Premier Li Peng was implemented. More upbeat, Vice President Dan Quayle called the announcement ''a positive step forward for human rights.'' The White House and State Department reflected a cautious U.S. policy stance by issuing identical statements saying ''we must assess the full scope of this action after observing its implementation.'' The Bush administration dropped its opposition to World Bank loans to China for aid for earthquakes and other unspecified calamities, but officials said the step was not related to the lifting of sanctions and that the United States would continue to oppose loans to China for projects. Bush today did not indicate whether he is considering further softening of sanctions he imposed on Beijing after China's violent crackdown on thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators last spring. ''We will continue to watch this situation very closely,'' he said. Seperately, Vice President Dan Quayle today called China's lifting of martial law "a positive step forward for human rights" and a vindication of President Bush's efforts to reopen diplomatic ties with Beijing. Quayle applauded the Chinese government's action in a brief exchange with reporters at the outset of a meeting with the visiting Japanese minister of trade and industry, Hikaru Matsunaga. Quayle said, "We view China's decision to lift martial law as a step forward. I believe that you begin to see dividends from the president's policy toward China." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Congress express doubt on China's intention on human rights ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [AP/lin@neon.stanford.edu] China's announced lifting of martial law is receiving muted praise from the Bush administration, while members of Congress express doubt that Beijing is about to improve its record on human rights. On Capitol Hill, Rep. William S. Broomfield of Michigan, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said China's announcement was ''more blue smoke and mirrors, and would not fool anybody in Congress into believing that the Chinese leadership was moderating its oppressive rule.'' Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who sponsored legislation to permit Chinese students to remain in the United States after their visas expire, called the lifting of martial law an ''empty gesture.'' ''I am confident the Congress of the United State will see through this feeble attempt by Chinese leaders to mislead western governments,'' she said in a statement. ''Beijing can lift martial law because it does not need martial law to crush dissent.'' Pelosi said she would push for a congressional override of President Bush's veto of the bill to protect Chinese students even though he has promised to shield them through an executive order. Senate Democratic Whip Alan Cranston of California called the announcement ''a small, very small, step in the right direction ... insufficient justification to halt sanctions against China.'' House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri renewed criticism of Bush for sending two senior officials to Beijing for talks soon after Chinese troops massacred hundreds of students and other pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in June. ''We shouldn't have been over there at the very time that Eastern Europe was breaking loose and people were taking courageous stands against despotic regimes to say to the Chinese all is forgiven for what you did,'' Gephardt said. ''While it may make sense to communicate with the Chinese government, I don't think you want to be clinking champagne glasses with them as you say all is forgiven, because I don't think all should be forgiven that quickly or that easily.'' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Albania declare state of emergency in 2nd largest city ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [AP/yawei@aqua.bacs.indiana.edu] BELGRADE, Yugoslavia - A Yugoslav newspaper Thursday claimed that a state of emergency had been declared in Albania's second largest city. An Albanian diplomat in Vienna denied the report. The state-run Politika daily said the state of emergency was imposed to quell popular unrest in Shkoder, which is close to the Yugoslav border in northern Albania. The Belgrade newspaper did not give the source of its information, say when the state of emergency was introduced or give any other details on the reported order. Albania is closed to most foreigners, and it was impossible to verify the claims in the newspaper report. Albania, the last bastion of Stalinism in Eastern Europe, has resisted the democratic reforms sweeping the rest of the region. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Executive Editor: yawei@rose.bacs.indiana.edu or yawei@iubacs.bitnet | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- News Transmission chi@vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (or) ----------------------- --------------------- NDCadada Editor: Bo Chi chi@vlsi.waterloo.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thu Jan 11 22:39:30 EST 1990