China has good reasons to court rather than confront the U.S., primarily economic ones. China's bid to enter the World Trade Organization is at the top of the economic agenda. So is keeping open the U.S. market for Chinese exports. But Chinese analysts say that for Beijing, all these issues are secondary to Taiwan. Still, no one has suggested that Zhu cancel his trip.
China has an engagement policy, too.
It sees engaging the U.S. on Taiwan arms sales and trade as key to Chinese national interests. Russia shares China's dismay at Nato's action in the Balkans, and China's interest in limiting America's global power. Premier Zhu's challenge in the U.S. will be to pursue China's agenda at a time when players in domestic U.S. politics, especially Republicans, see much advantage in criticizing China and the Clinton administration's China policy. Indeed, U.S. domestic politics has long weighed heavily on China policy. It has divided the White House and Congress since the Nixon presidency in the 1970s, often serving as campaign fodder in the run-up to presidential elections.