By The
Associated Press
Edited by Deb McAdams
News Digest
Wednesday, August 31, 1994 V'Jgc 2
Human rights to be discussed
BEIJING—Chinaon Tuesday told
Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown it
was ready to resume talks with the
United States on the sensitive topic of
human rights, discussions that the
Chinese suspended a half-year ago.
The surprise decision seemed in
tended to reward Brown for pushing
President Clinton to sever the link
between trade and China’s human
rights practices. It also was seen as
China’s way of thanking the United
States for Brown’s visit, which both
sides say marks a new era in Chincsc
U.S. business tics.
Brown, leading an entourage of
two dozen American business execu
tives, is the first Cabinet member to
visit China since Clinton decided in
May not to make the annual renewal of
China’s most-favored nation trade sta
tus contingent on improvements in its
human rights practices.
Clinton’s policy change was an
important boost to American corpora
tions seeking to expand or establish
themselves in China, the world’s fast
est-growing economy and biggest sin
gle consumer market. In subsequent
months, businesses ranging from
Boeing to Wal-Mart have announced
agreements with the Chinese.
* Brown told a news conference he
was “exhilarated by the results” of his
trip so far. He said nearly $5 billion in
business deals have been concluded in
the first three daysofhiseighl-day trip,
but did not give details.
“Wc came with high expectations
about our ability to have a profoundly
positive impact on the relationship
between China and the United States.
We have already met and surpassed
those expectations,” he said.
Brown was informed of the deci
sion to reopen the human rights dia
logue minutes before the news confer
ence.
He said Foreign Minister Qian
Qichcn would be visiting the United
Slates at the end of September for
talks, but said he had no other details.
China and the United States have
been holding informal discussions on
human rights since 1990. But that di
alogue was suspended after Beijing
reacted with fury to a meeting between
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Stale John
Shatluck with leading dissident Wei
Jingsheng during a visit in February.
The flap over the Shattuck-Wci
meeting helped taint the subsequent
visitofSccrctaryofStatcWarrenChris
topher in March, when dozens of dis
sidents were detained or put under
surveillance. Many of those detained
remain in custody.
Only one dissident has been de
tained during Brown’s visit, but that
may be because the most vocal polit
ical activists arc already in detention.
Human rights activists charge Chi
na has become even more heavy-hand
ed in suppressing dissent since
Clinton’s decision increased pressure
on the issue.
Clinton and many U.S. business
leaders argued that using the annual
threat to withdraw most-favored-na
tion status from China was not an
effective way to bring about improve
ments in China’s human rights prac
tices.
By resuming discussions on the
issue, China’s Communist rulers have
sought to reinforce that point of view.
But they alsomay be hoping Washing
ton will reciprocate by softening its
stance on the issue of Beijing’s appl i
cation to join the world trade organiza
tion, or General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade.
China wants to join GATT as a
developing nation and benefit from
less stringententry requirements, while
Washington would prefer that Beijing
join GATT under less favorable con
ditions, given its strength as an export
power.
Foreign Trade Minister Wu Yi told
Brown on Monday that improved trade
tics would depend on China’s success
in joining GATT.
Brown and Wu signed an agree
ment Monday that establishes a per
manent system of talks to identify new
business opportunities and resolve
problems.
The U.S. visitor said the agree
ments “lay a foundation on which we
can build one of the most important
business relationships the United States
will have in the century ahead."
Defense contractors to merge
NEW YORK — Lockheed Corp.
and Martin MariettaCorp. arc heading
for one of the biggest defense mergers
ever, a $10 billion deal that will com
bine the makers of the stealth fighter
and Titan 4 rocket under one roof.
Lockheed Martin, as the new com
pany will be called, will employ about
170.000 people and have approximate
ly $23 billion in annual sales, making
it the nation’s largest defense contrac
tor.
The companies said the merger,
which both boards have approved, wilf
allow them to cut costs in providing
defense, space and other high-tech
products to government and civilian
customers.
The merger is subject to regulatory
approval and shareholder acceptance.
The com pan ies said the deal is cxpec t
cd to close in early 1995.
John Dcutch.dcputydcfen.se secre
tary, said the Defense Department
would study the merger for possible
antitrust violations and advise regula
tors on its findings.
“There appear to be very serious
antitrust questions,” he said. Such
mergers arc “generally a good idea
from the viewpoint of the U.S. taxpay
er, but this is a big enough one that the
competitive aspects deserve careful
study.”
Lockheed and Martin Marietta
set $10 billion merger
Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp. announced a deal that will combine the
makers of the stealth tighter and Titan 4 rocket
Company profiles
Headquarters: Calabasas, Calif.
Businesses: Defense and
aerospace.
History: Founded in 1926.
Government loans saved it from ruin
in the early 1970s. In the 1970s and
1960s, developed die space shuttle's
thermal insulation, the Hubble Space
Telescope and the F-117A stealth
fighter. Products include the Hercules
C-130 military cargo plane and the
Air Force's F-22 stealth fighter.
Recent news: In 1992, with
McDermott and Oiin, formed
International Disarmament Corp. to
dismantle nuclear arms; was poked
by the U.S. Army to develop the
THADD missile system; signed a deal
with Motorola to provide satellites for
its IRIDIUM communications system.
Employees; 77,500
1963 sales: $13.2 billion
1993 profits: $422 million
Headquarters: Bethesda, Md,
Businesses: Aerospace and electronics.
History: Pounded in 1917. Produced the
first U.S-burtt bombers as well as the Pan
Am 'CKpper' and the B-26 Marauder
bomber. After WWII, reduced aircraft
production in favor of missiles, electronics
and nudear systems. In 1953, began
development of the Titan rocket In the
1970s, won Government contracts tor the
Viking Mars lander, the space shuttle's
external fuel tank and the MX missile.
Recent newt: In 1991 along with TRW,
Martin Marietta won a $659 million contract
to develop Britiant Pebbles spac*based
missile interceptors. In 1993 it was
awarded a five-year contract extension by
NASA to provide payload support lor the
Space Shuttle, Space Station and
Spaceiab valued at $460 mlion.
Employees: 93,000
1993 sales: $9.4 billion
1993 profits: $20.9 mition
AP
<50 News..._
[ft# in a Minute
Judge Ito denies defense request
LOS ANGELES — A judge rejected a request from O.J. Simpson’s
lawyers tocxaminc a police detective’s military records, ruling Tuesday
that they have no bearing on defense suggestions that the officer is a racist
and a liar.
“Having heard the argument by counsel for the defendant alleging
racial animus and propensity to fabricate ... the court reviewed the
military file and found no reports or other information relevant to the
issues in this case,” Superior Court Judge Lance Ito said in a written order.
He said he weighed the privacy rights of Detective Mark Fuhrman
against the rights of Simpson to gather evidence for his defense and
decided against turning over Fuhrman’s Marine Corps records.
Dismissal requested in Jordan murder
LUMBERTON, N.C.—Defense attorneys asked Tuesday that charg
es be dismissed against one of the two teen-agers charged with killing
Michael Jordan’s father, arguing the prosecutor has withheld crucial
evidence.
The evidence includcsonc reported sighting of James Jordan after the
date he was supposed to have been killed and two reports indicating other
people talking about committing a similar crime, said defense lawyer
Woodberry Bowen.
“Most of these reports would have been in the district attorney’s hands
way back in the fall,” Bowen said.
Bowen represents Daniel Andre Green, who with Larry Martin
Demcry is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and conspir
acy to commit armed robbery in thccldcr Jordan’sdeath last July. Demcry
and Green were charged Aug. 15,1993.
Threat to Clinton taken seriously
FALMOUTH, Mass. — A construction worker was charged with
threatening to kill President Clinton after allegedly saying that’s why he
wanted to travel to Martha’s Vineyard.
Glenn R. Armstrong, 26, of Uxbridge, pleaded innocent Tuesday in
Barnstable District Court and was ordered to undergo 20 days of
psychiatric evaluation at Bridgewater Slate Hosptial.
Armstrong was taken into custody Monday at the Steamship Authority
ferry terminal in Wood’s Hole. Police said he told a ticket agent he needed
to kill the president, who is vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard.
The agent alerted police who made the arrest after Secret Service
agents questioned Armstrong for several hours.
Scout leader opens fire
NEW YORK — The Boy Scouts have fired a 24-year-old counselor
for allegedly shooting a BB gun at scouts attending a summer camp,
hitting one boy between the eyes.
Scan Turner, 24, faces seven counts of assault. He was being held in
lieu of $10,000 bail Tuesday after pleading innocent in Sullivan County,
where the city youths attended the camp.
Turner fired at six of the 12 Scouts under his care, ordering them to
dance, police said.
The 14-year-old shot between the eyes suffered a superficial but
bloody wound.
“He would point the gun at us and we would all run,” police quoted
the injured boy as saying. He said he told Turner he “didn’t want to play
any more.”
Second NAACP suit revealed
WASHINGTON — The NAACP settled a sex discrimination suit
against a member of its board of directors three days before it fired
Executive Director Benjamin Chavis for inking a similar settlement
without the board’s knowledge.
In an October 1993 lawsuit, Harriet Diles accused board member
Gentry W. Trotter of harassing her, defaming her and firing her because
she filed sex discrimination complaints with federal and local employ
ment officials.
The harassment, Diles alleged, was part of longstanding “policy and
pattern of conduct” at the civil rights organization. She sought more than
$2 million in back pay and damages.
U.S. policy toward Cuba questioned
WASHINGTON — The United
States talks with North Korea about
nuclear technology and expanded re
lations, but turns a cold shoulder to
Cuba. President Clinton sits down for
a cordial chat with Syrian President
Hafez Assad, but won’t exchange a
word with Fidel Castro.
Now Clinton is coming underpres
sure from allies and critics alike to case
the U.S. hard line toward Castro’s
regime.
“It really is incongruous that the
most powerful nation on earth is un
able or unwilling to talk to the leader of
a tiny impoverished nation that’s just
90 miles off our coast,” said Sen.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt„ one of the pres
ident’s strongest allies in Congress.
No booster of Clinton is Sen. Alan
Simpson, the assistant Republican
leader of the Senate. Neither would
anyone call the Wyoming senator soft
on communist regimes.
But he too wonders aloud why the
United States can’t talk to Cuba.
“If we’re opening the door to Viet
nam and North Korea, what in the
world are we doing not talking to this
guy (Castro), who’s 91 miles away?”
asked Simpson during an appearance
on CNN.
Under strict orders to talk onl y about
migration,a mid-level U.S. delegation
will meet with Cuban officials in New
York on Wednesday or Thursday.
If the Cubans raise other issues; the
U.S. economic embargo, the possibil
ity of discussions between Castro and
Clinton, they will be cut off, says
Undersecretary of State Peter Tarnoff.
The U.S. delegation is authorized
“to talk migration issues and that’s all
we will talk about,” he said.
Tarnoff echoes the belief of the
Clinton administration and eight pre
decessors, going back to Dwight D.
Eisenhower, that with enough U.S.
pressure Castro’s regime will crum
ble.
“We have no doubt that the people
ofCuba want a change, an overwhelm
ing majority,” Tarnoff said in an
interview on Public Television.
“Of the presidents who thought he
would leave soon, four of them are
now dead, another four are out of
office and he’s still there,” said Leahy.
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