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May 26, 1998
China Is No Russia
Letters Index
To the Editor:
You quote President Clinton as saying that "Russia and China, where the shackles of state socialism once choked off enterprise, are moving to join the thriving community of free democracies" (news article, May 19). Both are moving to join the community of market economies, but only Russia has taken steps to become a free democracy.
Although flawed in many ways, Russia is an electoral democracy. China is an authoritarian regime.
In Russia, leaders are elected, people can assemble, worship and travel freely, and the press can criticize the Government.
In China, none of these freedoms exist.
Perhaps Mr. Clinton made a slip of the tongue.
But for those who worry that he too often ignores violations of democratic rights in pursuit of market opportunities, this did not look so innocent.
MICHAEL MC FAUL
Stanford, Calif., May 20, 1998The writer is an assistant professor of political science, Stanford University.
To the Editor: I find it incredible that President Clinton is going to China under current conditions (news article, May 20). But even more incredible is the fact that he will be greeted in Tiananmen Square, the site where hundreds of protesters were murdered by the Chinese Government.
If President Clinton goes to China, he should politely tell his hosts that he will under no circumstances be greeted in that place of infamy. Although this may be an insult to the Chinese dictators, to do otherwise is an effrontery to those who died there and to the American pub-lic.
STEVEN W. YORK
Riverton, Wyo., May 22, 1998
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