|
Gore
vs. Bush -- Over Asia
Though Asia is marginal in the closely fought election battle
between Al Gore and George W. Bush, the U.S. is in fact critical
to the region, being any combination of protector, persecutor
or partner. Come polling day Nov. 7, either Gore or Bush will
win the right to lead the world's most powerful nation. Where
they converge and diverge on hot-button Asian issues:
|
| WHERE
BUSH STANDS . . . |
WHERE
GORE STANDS . . . |
| HARDER
on human rights, Taiwan. If China feels the rhetoric going too far,
it can turn to FOB(Friend of Beijing)George Bush to have a word
with Junior |
EASIER
on Beijing. Will continue Bill Clinton's policy of seeing China
as "a strategic partner" for the U.S. Says his favorite dining-out
food is Chinese |
| FREE
TRADER, in keeping with
Republicans and Corporate America. Will abandon Clinton administration's
linking of trade with labor and environment |
NOT-SO-FREE
TRADER. Has to look over shoulder in particular at U.S.
labor, whose vote he needs. Will take harder line enforcing U.S.
trade laws |
| TECH
TRANSFER to other countries, especially China, will slow,
if only to satisfy Republican hardliners. Expect greater scrutiny
and higher hurdles |
TECH
TRANSFER will speed up,
if only to win friends in the U.S.'s influential high-tech business
community. Even onetime pariah North Korea might benefit |
| STRONGER
RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN. Will
play down trade disputes and encourage Tokyo to adopt a more assertive
defense posture in the region |
REBUILDING
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN. Gore
will reverse the Clinton administration's Japan-bashing early on,
followed by a period of benign neglect |
| CAUTIOUS,
EVEN SUSPICIOUS approach toward North Korea. Won't scrap
agreements currently reached, but will be a tougher future negotiator |
UPBEAT
approach. As Madeleine Albright visit shows, Gore would be keen
to engage Pyongyang to cement U.S. influence in the area |
| MISSILE-HAPPY.
Committed to Theater Missile Defense in Asia (effectively targeting
China and North Korea as enemies) if no national U.S. system built
|
MISSILECONTROL.
Go-slow attitude toward both TMDand U.S. system. But pledges
more defense dollars -- which could find its way into missiles |
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