From: mtaghavi@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Amir Taghavi)
Subject: China accuses Bush of deception in fighter sale
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 23:18:58 GMT


	BEIJING (UPI) -- China, in one of its harshest attacks ever on a U.S.
administration seen as friendly, accused President Bush of deceit Friday
in the sale of advanced warplanes to Taiwan and said his government used
``excuses and lies'' to justify the move.
	A signed commentary by the official Xinhua news agency, printed on
the front page of the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily, rained
outrage on Bush's decision to approve selling up to 150 F-16 fighter
jets to the Nationalist Chinese-ruled island.
	The commentary charged the United States has ``repeatedly gone back
on its words'' by shipping weapons to Taiwan, allegedly in violation of
a 1982 joint agreement in which Washington pledged to reduce gradually
the quantity and quality of such sales.
	``But the Bush administration has fabricated various excuses and lies
trying to justify its arms sale decision, which is seriously
jeopardizing Sino-U.S. relations,'' it said.
	The commentary derided Bush's assertion that arms sales to Taiwan
would enhance regional stability. China views the island as a renegade
province and has never renounced using force to reclaim it.
	``This is sheer deceptive talk,'' the commentary said.
	``The U.S. decision to sell fighter jets to Taiwan can only bring
tension to the already calmed situation across the Taiwan Straits and
severely damage peace and stability in the region,'' it said.
	The commentary was one of China's most strident criticisms of Bush
since his presidency began. Although channeled through Xinhua for the
sake of diplomacy, the article was certain to have been approved by
senior Communist Party officials.
	Bush, who served as U.S. envoy to China in the mid-1970s, has until
now been viewed by Chinese leaders as a friend and as an ally against
their antagonists in Congress, in part for renewing China's Most Favored
Nation trade status despite congressional opposition.
	But even after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, when the Bush
administration imposed sanctions on China, state-run media generally
refrained from personal attacks on the president.
	The latest commentary, however, conspicuously omitted any charge that
Bush's decision was prompted by his re-election battle and his need for
votes in the key state of Texas, where the F-16 is made.
	Only one earlier Xinhua report referred to politics, noting in the
last paragraph of a news dispatch that ``public opinion'' in the United
States held the decision was made ``mainly out of Bush's need to draw
votes in the presidential election.''
	Chinese officials have in recent months privately expressed hope that
Bush will win re-election. Many equate a presidency of his Democratic
Party rival, Bill Clinton, with what they view as the anti-China
policies of Democrats in Congress.


-- 
        (/          /////////         * *    * *            //    (M)  //
       (/          ((           (0)   (0)    //      ///////////////  //
 MY   (/            ///////     //////////////      //  * *          //
 TM   (///////////////////   ///                 ////               //
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian