The Chinese premier arrived in Los Angeles Tuesday, the first stop on his six-city U.S. tour. U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators have been working furiously to try to strike a deal that could be announced during Zhu's visit to Washington. It is not a favor to China. If China accepts the responsibilities that come with WTO membership, that will give us broad access to China's markets while accelerating its internal reforms and propelling it toward acceptance of the rule of law. The trade deficit is only one of the thorny agenda items facing Clinton and Zhu.
Chinese authorities deny the report.
There are also allegations that China stole U.S. nuclear secrets from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and that U.S. satellite companies transferred sensitive missile technology to China. And the sensitive subject of human rights has become even more so with recent crackdowns on dissent within China. The Chinese, in turn, are upset by the NATO airstrikes in the Balkans, and Zhu told a Canadian newspaper last week that violations of Yugoslavia's national sovereignty could lead to a world war. The Chinese also resent a U.S. initiative to provide a missile-defense shield for Japan and Taiwan. Instead, Americans must be realistic in its dealings with Beijing, and remember that Chinese officials are equally wary of the United States, the president warned.