GINGRICH: U.S. COMMITTED TO PRESERVING DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG
(Rep. Bereuter to head working group on Hong Kong)
By Peggy Hu
USIA Staff Writer

Washington -- The United States is committed to the preservation of democracy and freedom in Hong Kong during its reversion to Chinese sovereignty, according to Newt Gingrich (Republican of Georgia), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We believe that two systems in one country has to genuinely mean a free system for Hong Kong, and we are committed to working on that," Gingrich said at an April 9 press briefing on a congressional delegation he led to Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Taipei.

Gingrich said that the delegation has asked Rep. Douglas Bereuter (Republican of Nebraska), chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, to form a bipartisan working group to observe, report on, and assist in Hong Kong's transition.

"We got very good reaction, both in Hong Kong and in Beijing, to the idea that Congressman Bereuter would be taking the lead -- not interfering in Chinese activities, but helping coach, helping look at the situation, helping them understand that -- even if you want to have two systems in one country, as they claim they do -- that in fact it takes a great deal of effort," Gingrich said.

"The truth is, the people who run Beijing don't have a clue how a democracy operates," he continued. "Their idea of sedition may well mean that if you criticize the hair-do of the leader, you go to jail. Our idea is, of course, dramatically narrower because of the argument in the late 1790s over the Alien and Sedition Acts. So we have a society where people can routinely criticize virtually everybody, and where open free speech and open free elections really mean that. They're not just facades."

Bereuter, who joined Gingrich for the briefing, said that in addition to working on Hong Kong's transition, he will be exploring the possibility of more exchanges between the U.S. Congress and the People's National Congress of China "where we can have some impact on educating them and working with them on common interests." Bereuter is also exploring similar exchanges between the U.S. Congress and parliamentarians from Japan and South Korea.

Bereuter outlined three objectives of U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region:

-- the preservation of regional peace and security through a continued U.S. military presence;

-- the active pursuit of economic interests; and

-- the advancement of democratic institutions.

"We're not going to check our American principles at the door as we work in the region," he said. "Democracy, pluralism, rule of law and human rights are important American principles that we are going to pursue in the region, taking full account of Asian cultures and differences."

The recent congressional delegation to Asia also reiterated U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China throughout the trip, Gingrich said.

The United States supports the peaceful reunification of Taiwan and China "within the framework of a one-China policy, in which the people of Taiwan and the mainland will have a dialogue very patiently over a very long time, hopefully until the mainland becomes democratic and free and open," Gingrich said.

"During that process the mainland cannot conquer Taiwan, and Taiwan cannot unilaterally break the one-China policy," he added.