President Clinton has defended his forthcoming visit to China and promised to raise the issues of human rights and forced abortions with the Chinese leaders. It will be the first visit by a US president since the Tiananmen Square massacre of student demonstrators in 1989.
As the date for the trip gets nearer, criticism has increased from conservatives and religious groups that the Clinton administration is not taking a tough enough line with China on these issues. There has also been an outcry from Republicans over the transfer of US satellite technology to China and charges that Chinese money was used to fund Mr Clinton's re-election in 1996.
Concerned by the mounting criticism, Mr Clinton yesterday defended his visit while acknowledging that there are serious differences of opinion about its value at this time.
"Some Americans believe we should try to isolate and contain China because of its undemocratic system and human rights violations and in order to retard its capacity to become America's next great enemy," Mr Clinton said in a speech at the National Geographic Society. "Some believe increased commercial dealings alone will inevitably lead to a more open, more democratic China."
He said he had chosen a different policy of expanding areas of co-operation while dealing forthrightly with differences. He promised to raise human rights concerns and questions of population control as well as nuclear proliferation during his visit from June 25th to July 3rd.
He also rejected criticism of his official welcome at Tiananmen Square, seen as a symbol of oppression. He said that his critics were confusing protocol with principles.
Findings in a CBS News poll published yesterday show that 59 per cent of Americans believed the president should go to China, while 32 per cent were opposed to the trip.