Renewing MFN Trade Status for China

How can Edwin J. Feulner’s “Let the People Change China From Within” (May 22) qualify as a Column Right? Giving China most-favored-nation trade status is a sham. China has the worst civil rights record of any country in the world, by promoting forced abortions, infanticide, starving of abandoned little girls, using child labor, forced-labor camps and the killing of students who disagree with the government, so we can buy cheap goods “Made in China.” Now it is becoming evident that there is extreme religious persecution of Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.

Russian communism fell because of our superior military power and the people’s desire for freedom. The current trade deficit that the U.S. is running with China is financing the buildup of the People’s Liberation Army of China!

YVONNE BROWN

Costa Mesa

* Administration officials cite 170,000 U.S. jobs among the arguments favoring renewing MFN status (May 20). Yes, our $10 billion in exports to China provide jobs for Americans. But since low tariffs result in our purchasing $50 billion of Chinese goods yearly, restriction of most-favored-nation privileges would make the products of American labor more competitive, with a far larger increase in American jobs.

Certainly, as the president advocates, it is better to engage China rather than to isolate it, but that is not the choice. When will we realize that it is wrong to sacrifice American values for the sake of American investment? Shouldn’t a basic tenet of our policy be to encourage those advocating democracy for the Chinese people, rather than to appease a totalitarian regime?

ALAN L. GLEITSMAN

Malibu

* Your May 21 editorial says, “Clinton is politically vulnerable because of the administration’s past flip-flops on China policy.” He is learning from experience that in world politics today China is a superstate we cannot ignore. Eliminating MFN would hurt the U.S. as well as Hong Kong and China.

You say, “The two powers must work together on a variety of issues” including human rights and Chinese weapon sales. If we really want to champion human rights, we should tell Israel to stop its expansion. We sell more weapons to Third World countries than anybody else.

WYMAN WUN

Rancho Palos Verdes

* How is it that the U.S. government imposes harsh economic measures upon the poor Cuban people while at the same time carrying on a lively MFN trade deficit with mainland China?

Obviously, Fidel Castro should take a few lessons in gamesmanship from his Chinese counterparts. An estimated 30,000 U.S. tourists will illegally visit Cuba this year. If the Cuban government were to contribute some of these tourist dollars to the Democratic National Committee, Cuba might receive more favorable treatment.

JAMES KOHFELD

Santa Monica