Letters: Jun. 28, 1999

THE NEXT COLD WAR?

Thank you for objectively examining the seriousness of China's spying on the U.S. [THE COX REPORT, June 7]. While there is no doubt that China has sought to appropriate classified defense technology from the U.S., the Cox report sounds dangerously overwrought. The very notion that 80,000 Chinese nationals visit the U.S. every year to glean whatever military information they can reeks of xenophobia. Shame on the Republicans for using U.S.-Chinese relations for petty domestic political purposes. It will merely lend credence to hard-liners in China, who for reasons of their own would like a more adversarial relationship with the U.S. MICHAEL BIRD Toronto

Unless the U.S. is planning to confront the People's Liberation Army in the mountains of Manchuria, China is decades from posing a military threat. The Cox report exposes one thing: we continue to have significant security lapses at the highest levels of our military. ERIC J. SMITH Pontiac, Mich.

It is not surprising that some Americans think of China as an upstart world power. During the past century, the U.S. has risen to world leadership while China was brought to its knees by instabilities introduced into its society as a result of European imperialism. But China was a world leader two millenniums before this country was "discovered" by the Europeans. Throughout most of its history, the Chinese empire has not been particularly interested in territorial expansion. That the Chinese have done so little with the alleged stolen "secrets" supports this view. Americans would do well to see China as a former world power in the process of re-establishing its international legitimacy. RON WIECKI Madison, Wis.

The picture painted by the Cox report is no less ridiculous than the Chinese government's insistence that NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was the result of a conspiracy. Let's hope cooler heads prevail and Sino-American relations improve in the long run, to the benefit of all of us. HONG MA Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.

TIME places Asian eyes on its cover, implying that Asians are spies. Once again the loyalty of Asian Americans is being questioned. JIMMY WANG Moffet Field, Calif.

The millions like me who took part in the events at Beijing University's Triangle and Tiananmen Square can never forget them. It is true that the student and civilian demands were justifiable and that the government's harsh response was a terrible mistake. But we must see that China has changed and that the government is different in some respects. More important, China is freer, wealthier and more open. At this critical moment, with the spy scandal and the embassy bombing, Sino-American relations have dropped to their lowest point ever. To salvage the relationship, don't contain China, embrace her. MOSES LI Charlotte, N.C.

The beauty of this country is that something called the American Dream is still true. It attracts the best scientists and engineers from all over the world. That is why America is the world's strongest nation. Unfortunately, the door is closing because the average Joes and Janes are told that the Chinese students we see every day on campus could be spies. This is dangerously misleading and can only hurt America. JANE HOWE Alfred, N.Y.

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