Berger Slams Bush Policy on China

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 ◆ Berger Slams Bush Policy on China

Former U.S. National Security Advisor Samuel Berger criticized the Bush Administration for its ?shaky? policy toward China, a Japanese newspaper has reported. In an interview June 6th with a correspondent from Asahi Shinbun, the former top Clinton Administration official said that it would be a mistake for countries like the United States and Japan to adopt unfriendly relations with China. ?The China policy of countries like the United States and Japan will affect the future of China. If we take China as a new enemy in place of Russia, those conservatives in China who want to stop its opening-up and liberalization of this country will be encouraged, and those who want China integrated into the whole world will be thwarted. That?£¤s being adversarial to China,? Asahi Shinbun quoted Berger as saying. Berger said that the Bush Administration was ?obviously being hard on China? with its arms sales to Taiwan and that its lack of clarity in explaining missile defense may well have left China bewildered. ? I don?£¤t think China has become a threat to the United States. We should urge China to slow down its military modernization. And at the same time, we should restrict our arms sales to Taiwan as well,? Berger is quoted as saying. Berger himself said he was bewildered by the Bush Administration?£¤s decision to sell to Taiwan more powerful weapons than in the past, even though those did not include the Aegis. ?I can?£¤t see where the Administration is heading,? Berger said. Berger further expressed concern that some in the Bush Administration appear to want to turn the US-Japanese relations into ?a kind of anti-China alliance? that would be desirable for neither Japan nor the United States. Berger, who has held close meetings with President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji many times, offered his opinion about these two leaders, as reported in Asahi Shibun: ?President Jiang Zemin is actually a very powerful leader. He is very good at negotiations. Although we are divided in opinion on many issues, he always takes a friendly attitude. I think he has already made the strategic decision to see that China one day will be integrated into the world as a whole. He has always regarded Sino-U.S. relations as something basic and has never given up this principle even when the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated.? ?Premier Zhu Rongji is a wise leader who has a very realistic consideration of the Chinese economy. He has a very broad view. Now China is at a stage of improving the well-being of its people economically. During this process, the Chinese people will gradually get more freedom in many aspects, in their daily life, their work, their travels.? Speaking of the Taiwan issue Berger said that in some cases the longer the problems are dragged out, the harder it is for them to be resolved. But for others, the longer they drag on, the easier it is to reach a solution. The Middle East is an example of the former while Taiwan is an example of the latter, he said. ?This issue will become easier to be settled as time goes on. The Taiwan investment in the mainland has already amounted to US$50 billion. Hundreds of thousands of people travel back and forth across the Straits. As a mater of fact , the unification, especially the economic unification, is already going on. The United States should promote dialogues between Taiwan and the mainland and try to find a ?one-China?£¤ pattern satisfactory to both parties.?