U.S. - China Trade

After the June 1989 massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the Communist Part tightened its grip over China, surviving though a combination of rigid political control and sweeping economic reforms. Now the United States faces a crisis in its relations with the 1.3-billion-population nation, which is rejecting U.S. demands for human rights improvements. Having threatened to raise tariffs on imports from China if these conditions are not met by June 3, President Clinton confronts the prospect of undermining America's share of the world’ fastest-growing economy. If he yields to the lure of the vast Chinese market, however, he may undermine the United States’ credibility as a defender of human rights throughout the world.