Clinton has a China problem8217;, say experts

8220;What goes around comes around,8221; said James Przystup, with the National Defence University.

Indeed, Bush8217;s son and namesake, George W Bush, the Republican frontrunner for the 2000 White House race, lambasted Clinton Tuesday after the Cox report brought charges Clinton was lax on probes of China8217;s nuclear spying.

8220;The current administration calls China a strategic partner. China is not America8217;s strategic partner. China is a competitor, a competitor which does not share our values but now unfortunately shares many of our nuclear secrets,8221; the Texas governor said in a statement.

The White Houseinsists the breaches revealed in the special report by Republican Representative Christopher Cox8217;s panel occurred mostly under previous Republican administrations and that it has since beefed up security.

But lawmakers charge Clinton8217;s top aides ignored warnings Chinese spies were stealing state-of-the-art nuclear technology to prevent fallout on the constructive engagement8217; policy aimed at softening Beijing through cooperation.

Clinton defended that approach on Tuesday after the report was released.

8220;I strongly believe that our continuing engagement with China has produced benefits for our national security,8221; he said, vowing, however, to do more to protect US national security information.

Many of the Republicans who took over Congress in 1994 have denounced Clinton8217;s China policy as a dangerous cosying up to the Communist giant and their charges were soon compounded by the 1996 campaign finance scandal.

Huge contributions from Chinese businessmen, the invitation of a Beijing arms dealer toWhite House functions and the easing of technological transfers to China led to allegations China was buying influence with campaign cash.

Both Clinton and China have denied the government in Beijing made direct donations, but Democratic fundraiser Johnny Chung told investigators China8217;s military intelligence Chief ordered 300,000 dollars to be paid to Clinton8217;s 1996 re-election fund.

Experts say Clinton8217;s ongoing problems with China have brought US-China relations to their lowest point in years and blame his unrealistic views.

8220;Clinton has this gap between rhetoric and values and the clear differences that we have with China,8221; said Przystup.

He criticised the Clinton for failing to take into account serious disputes over Taiwan and proliferation.

8220;We don8217;t have to be antagonistic but we have to be very clear about where our interests are,8221; said Przystup.

8220;We got to deal with them not because we like them or because we want to have a strategic partnership. We have to deal with them becausethey are big and potentially dangerous,8221; he said.

Bates Gill, with the Brookings Institution, also tasked Clinton with failing to do his homework on China.

8220;This administration has not devoted the amount of attention and resources needed on two fronts: one is to clarify where our strategic interests converge and secondly building the kind of domestic consensus in support of a well-reasoned China policy,8221; he said.

The Republican Opposition has turned China into an arch enemy over trade, religious liberty and human rights, and polls show at least half of Americans see China as the number one threat to US security.

A recent Newsweek poll showed 43 percent disapprove of Clinton8217;s China policy against 38 who approve, and that 57 percent view Beijing as a major threat. A Wall Street Journal survey found 49 percent put China on the top of the threat list.

Gill said the lack of public support deprives Clinton of important leverage with China.

8220;They consider that he can8217;t deliver,8221; hesaid, citing Clinton8217;s failure to win a deal on China8217;s World Trade Organisation membership.

8220;He8217;s a weakened President and he8217;s on the defensive with regard to China policy,8221; Gill said. quot;All these are signals that Clinton is going to be a difficult partner.quot;