The United States has bluntly warned top generals in the Indonesian military against staging a coup against President Abdurrahman Wahid (Jan. 16, 2000). “We are seeing news reports about a (possible) military coup in Indonesia. We would view this with the most, the greatest possible concern,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke said. “I hope that these rumors are false. Any Indonesian army officers or any military officer thinking of military adventurism have forgotten that we are now in the 21^st century,” he said the late Friday (Jan. 14, 2000) in a telephone news conference with Indonesian journalists.

Over China’s issues, the U.S. president unveiled in the report, titled “A National Security Strategy for A New Century,” that Washington wishes to achieve the following key security objectives with its China policy:

--- Enhancing stability in the Taiwan Strait through maintenance of its “one China” policy, peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and encouraging dialogue between Taipei and Beijing;

--- Strengthening mainland China’s adherence to international non proliferation norms, particularly in export controls on ballistic missiles and dual-use technologies;

--- Encouraging a constructive mainland role in international affairs through active cooperation in multilateral organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum; and

--- Law enforcement cooperation in areas linked to counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics.

State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said in addition to intensifying a crackdown on political dissent in mainland China, Beijing is vigorously suppressing the Falun Gong meditation movement and tightening controls on the media and the Internet.

Beyond that, communist China strengthened controls on unregistered churches and on the political and religious expression of ethnic minorities, especially Tibetans, he said.

“These actions taken as a whole are contrary to the direction that China has been urged to take by the world,” Rubin said.

Asked about Rubin’s comments, Beijing’s embassy spokesman Yu Shuning said his government “firmly opposes the U.S. practice of interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.”

Rubin’s announcement came a day after President Bill Clinton urged Congress to vote “at the earliest possible time” to approve a trade deal negotiated with mainland China late last year.

The timing of Rubin’s announcement appeared aimed at showing Congress the administration is prepared to get tough on communist China’s rights record even as it pushes for closer trade ties. At issue before Congress this year is a trade agreement that will allow Beijing to join the World Trade Organization, which sets rules for international commerce.

Clinton’s campaign for congressional approval faces stiff resistance from organized labor, environment groups and their Democratic allies, who believe low wages and lax pollution standards in mainland China will undercut American workers. Religious groups also are expected to raise objections about mainland China’s human rights problems.

The advocacy group Human Rights Watch praised the U.S. initiative, urged the president and vice president to involve themselves personally in it and asked the European Union to join the Americans in sponsorship.

“China must be held to the same basic human rights standards as any other government,” said Mike Jendrzejeczyk, Washington director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division.

Rubin said Beijing was informed at a high level Tuesday of U.S. intentions in the U.N. Human Rights Commission, which meets in March. He described the Geneva-based group as the world’s “pro-eminent body” on rights issues.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has instructed ambassadors around the world to push for support for the prospective resolution denouncing communist China, Rubin said.

“The goal here, through this international action, is to shine an international spotlight directly on China’s human rights practices,” Rubin said.

Yu, Beijing’s embassy spokesman, predicted failure for the U.S. plan. “They have already tried eight times before in Geneva, and they failed eight times,” Yu said. “If they try this year, they will fail again.”