Chinese Minister Assures Clinton on Hong Kong Rights

WASHINGTON — President Clinton pronounced himself “quite satisfied” Wednesday with assurances from China’s foreign minister that Beijing will respect the freedom and political rights of Hong Kong citizens after the British colony reverts to Chinese control in two months.

Talking to reporters about his White House meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, Clinton said: “We had a good discussion about Hong Kong, and he assured me that China intended to observe the terms of the agreement of 1984 that they made with Great Britain.” China pledged then to retain the colony’s political, legal and economic systems for 50 years after the July 1 change of power.

For Qian, the president’s reaction was just what he came to Washington to get this week. After almost a decade of simmering Sino-American tensions, Beijing is out to smooth its relationship with the United States before a scheduled Washington trip by Chinese President Jiang Zemin this fall. Clinton is scheduled to pay a return visit to China sometime next year.

In other topics covered during his meeting with Clinton--and in talks earlier this week with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)--Qian asserted that Beijing has only peaceful intentions toward its neighbors.

In addition, Qian insisted that his government had nothing to do with illicit campaign contributions to the Democratic Party last year. And he pressed China’s case for continued normal trade relations with the U.S. and for entry into the World Trade Organization.

In a speech Tuesday, Qian said that Hong Kong’s political autonomy would be “unmatched in the world.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang told reporters at the Chinese Embassy that Clinton and Qian both called for a “more healthy and normal” relationship between their countries.

But the White House, concerned about China’s dismal record on human rights and worried that the Hong Kong deal may go sour, clearly tried to keep Qian at arm’s length. Clinton and Qian did not appear together in public. Clinton’s brief comments came during an unrelated photo session.

Despite the president’s seeming approval of Qian’s presentation on Hong Kong, White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said that the United States will monitor the situation closely to make sure Beijing keeps its pledge.