Hopes build for China-US thaw

By Greg Ansley

CANBERRA - The United States' most senior diplomat in Asia strengthened hopes yesterday that the Auckland Apec summit may lead to a significant thawing of relations between Washington and China.

The relationship collapsed after the US bombing of China's Belgrade embassy during the Kosovo crisis, US claims of nuclear espionage and criticism of Beijing's human rights clampdown, and Washington's rejection of a Chinese compromise on its bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Observers and officials are concerned that the US-China impasse could overshadow the Apec talks and moves to form a common regional front in new WTO talks on further global trade reform.

But after talks with Australian officials in Canberra, Stanley Roth, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, indicated that the US was placing heavy emphasis on talks in Auckland between President Bill Clinton and his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin.

"President Clinton proposed this, President Jiang accepted it immediately, and I think there is a desire on all sides to make this a success," he said.

Mr Roth also said that the Auckland summit was a key stage for WTO talks this year in Seattle, and a strong statement of support for a new round of local trade liberalisation would be important.