There is an urgent need for a multilateral approach to bring China's legal system and human rights practices into conformity with United Nations standards. The Chinese Communist Party's efforts to protect its monopoly on power continue to limit reforms and are a recipe for future political instability. Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and President Bill Clinton should use the opportunity of the Okinawa meeting to call on Beijing to take final action on two important UN human rights treaties China has signed but not yet ratified. The Group of Seven could also offer direct assistance to help reform China's labor laws, dismantle its ''re-education through labor'' system and build a modern, transparent legal system. On the issue of Russia's abuses in Chechnya, the Okinawa meeting provides a particularly useful forum, with President Vladimir Putin participating in the political discussions.
Japan is clearly interested in supporting reform in Russia.
It has given emergency assistance to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist displaced persons fleeing Chechnya. It should go further, urging Mr. Putin to fully comply with the recommendations of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and ensuring that this appeal is included in the Okinawa final statement. The United Nations called on Moscow to carry out independent investigations and prosecutions in connection with atrocities committed in Chechnya, and allow unhindered access to Chechnya by UN officials. The Okinawa meeting could give Japan a real boost in its international profile as a major partner shaping Group of Seven policy. The writer is the Washington director for the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch.