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PRESSURE. CHINA SHOULD BE HELD TO ITS COMMITMENTS ON ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND ON PROLIFERATION. THE U.S. SHOULD PRESS HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS, RECOGNISING THAT MOST PROGRESS WOULD BE POSSIBLE IN THE AREA OF BASIC CIVIL LIBERTIES. IN PARTICULAR THE U.S. SHOULD PRESS CHINA TO ALLOW ICRC ACCESS TO POLITICAL PRISONERS, COMMUTATION OF TIANANMEN SENTENCES, REPEAL OF THE CRIME OF COUNTER-REVOLUTION AND OTHER POLITICAL CRIMES, CREATION OF DETERRENTS TO TORTURE, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CHINA'S 1979 CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW.
5. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ALREADY HAD AT ITS DISPOSAL SANCTIONS THAT WERE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE SCATTER-SHOT IMPACT OF WITHDRAWING MFN. THESE INCLUDED:
(I) WITHHOLDING APPROVAL OF THE TRANSFER OF IMPORTANT HIGH
TECHNOLOGY ITEMS IN ORDER TO SECURE CHINESE COMPLIANCE WITH PROLIFERATION COMMITMENTS.
(II) INITIATING SECTION 301 NEGOTIATIONS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND MARKET ACCESS, RAISING THE PROSPECT OF SELECTIVE PUNITIVE TARIFFS TO SECURE CHINESE COOPERATION.
(III) SUBJECTING CHINA'S ACTIONS TO INTERNATIONAL SCRUTINY UNDER THE NPT, THE CW CONVENTION, MTCR.
(IV) DETERMINING WHETHER CHINA COULD JOIN GATT.
(V) MUSTERING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR PRESSURE ON HUMAN
RIGHTS I.E. IN THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
6. HE APPEALED TO MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO EDUCATE
CONGRESS ON THE STAKES INVOLVED IN U.S. RELATIONS WITH CHINA. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO HAD BEEN
ACTIVE IN THE PAST ON THIS ISSUE TO BACK AWAY FROM A LEGISLATIVE APPROACH. BUT HE HOPED THEY WOULD AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION NEEDED TIME TO FORMULATE ITS POLICY. FOR ITS PART, THE ADMINISTRATION MUST DEMONSTRATE STRONG INTEREST IN THE ISSUE AND SEIZE THE INITIATIVE QUICKLY. FINALLY, SUCCESS WOULD ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON THE WILLINGNESS OF CHINESE LEADERS TO ADDRESS U.S. CONCERNS. AS A MINIMUM, CHINA WILL HAVE TO MEET THE COMMITMENTS IT HAS ALREADY MADE IN THE AREAS OF TRADE AND PROLIFERATION.
7.
HAMILTON'S CHIEF STAFFER, RICHARD BUSH, TOLD ME THAT HAMILTON, AND A FEW OTHER DEMOCRATIC LEADERS, HAVE DECIDED TO TRY TO STAKE
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