950804

China slams US

magazine essay

for containment

BEIJING: Beijing attacked on Friday an essay in the latest issue of the U.S. magazine Time, blasting article's call for containment of China as revelation of an American plot to subvert China's communist government.

"This strange essay is strange in that it says through the mouth of a commentator things that some people in U.S. political circles want to say but are unwilling to say," the official People's Daily said in a commentary.

"It reveals a plot to 'contain' and even 'subvert' the legal Chinese government," the commentary said. "This is a confession of hegemonism and power politics."

The commentary reflected internal Chinese suspicions, especially among the military, that Washington is trying to contain China by opposing Beijing's entry to the World Trade Organisation and limiting its military modernisation by restricting technology transfers.

Chinese analysts say the military anxiety is an underlying factor in Beijing's fury at the United States for allowing President Lee Teng-hui to make a private visit in June, sending relations into a tailspin.

"The (Chinese) people have reason to believe that it (the essay) reflects the opinions of some people in U.S. policy-making levels," the People's Daily said.

In the July 31 U.S. edition of Time, columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote: "Containment of such a bully must begin early in its career. But containing China is not enough. Even more important is what (U.S. House speaker Newt) Gingrich found himself unable to advocate clearly: undermining its aggressively dictatorial regime."

The see-saw relationship between China and the United States has rarely dipped so low since their Cold War ended with the 1972 visit of President Richard Nixon.

China expelled on Thursday two Hong Kong-based air force attaches accused of spying -- the first U.S. officials to be thrown out of China since the two established diplomatic relations in 1979.

Beijing lodged a strong protest with the U.S. government, but U.S. officials played down the effect of China's decision, and Secretary of State Warren Christopher said it would not affect the forward momentum in ties.-Reuter