WORLD IN BRIEF : CHINA : Sasser Nominated as U.S. Envoy to Beijing

In another sign of a thaw in U.S.-China relations, President Clinton nominated former Democratic Sen. Jim Sasser of Tennessee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Beijing. The nomination came hours after China agreed to accept Sasser as Clinton’s choice for the diplomatic post, which has been vacant since Stapleton Roy left three months ago. Sasser, 58, served in the Senate for 18 years, including as chairman of the Budget Committee. His nomination must withstand hearings of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and then he must be confirmed by the Republican-led Senate. Sasser will try to stabilize U.S.-China ties following disputes over Taiwan, human rights and other issues.