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Food Eater Lad · 11-01-2003, 10:43 PM

China was a major contributer to Clinton's campaign. Sorry you dont believe me.

China Sought Technology With Campaign Funds - New York Times
Tuesday December 15, 1998 3:51 AM ET
China Sought Technology With Campaign Funds - New York Times

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investigators now believe China was attempting to gain access to American technology with its campaign contributions during the 1996 elections, a revision from the earlier position that Beijing was trying to influence races, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The newspaper, citing lawyers and investigators, said federal authorities have new evidence suggesting that China was trying to enhance the political standing of those passing along the contributions to Democratic causes in order to give them clout in arguing for favorable trade and technology policies.

China appears to have been following the example of American corporations, which use donations to raise the profile of Washington lobbyists, a senior Justice Department official told the Times under the condition of anonymity.

American law prohibits foreign governments from making campaign contributions.

Investigators originally believed China was trying to influence the outcome of elections, including President Clinton's re-election campaign.

A new phase in Washington's political warfare
By Martin McLaughlin
19 May 1998
A new front has been opened up in the political warfare in Washington, with claims by congressional Republicans that the Clinton administration agreed to reverse US policy on the export of satellite technology to China after large campaign contributions from aerospace companies and the Chinese government itself.

The Republican charges are based on press accounts, mainly from the New York Times, and on leaks from the US Justice Department, which is conducting a criminal investigation of possible Chinese government efforts to influence the 1996 presidential and congressional elections, including funneling contributions into the campaigns of particular candidates, among them Clinton.

Two aspects of the most recent revelations bear examination: the influence on Clinton administration policy of Loral Corporation and Hughes Aerospace, and the reported testimony of Johnny Chung, a Taiwanese-American businessman who gave a total of $366,000 to Democratic Party campaigns in 1996.

In the case of Loral and Hughes, the issue was a US government policy, enacted after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, which limited exports of satellite technology to China and required a specific presidential decision to permit American satellite manufacturers to use Chinese rockets as launching vehicles to place their satellites in orbit.

After the Clinton administration initially denied permission for such satellite launches, Loral Corporation Chairman Bernard Schwartz became the largest personal contributor to the Democratic Party, giving more than $600,000 for the 1996 campaign and another $421,000 for the current 1998 campaign.

His contributions were not in vain. In February 1996 Clinton gave approval to four launches of US-built satellites using Chinese Long March missiles. A month later the authority over such deals was transferred from the State Department, which had opposed the launch approval, to the Commerce Department, which was committed to promoting US corporate access to the lucrative Chinese market.

Notwithstanding the expressions of shock and indignation from various politicians and media sources, the role of Loral and Hughes Aerospace is typical of the everyday modus operandi of American capitalist politics. Big corporations give money to their political servants in Washington, and they expect their interests to be looked after in return. Nothing as crude as bribery for a specific decision need take place, since the normal workings of a system well-lubricated with corporate cash insures that the "right" outcome will occur.

11-01-2003, 10:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
Food Eater Lad Banned	China was a major contributer to Clinton's campaign. Sorry you dont believe me. China Sought Technology With Campaign Funds - New York Times Tuesday December 15, 1998 3:51 AM ET China Sought Technology With Campaign Funds - New York Times NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investigators now believe China was attempting to gain access to American technology with its campaign contributions during the 1996 elections, a revision from the earlier position that Beijing was trying to influence races, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The newspaper, citing lawyers and investigators, said federal authorities have new evidence suggesting that China was trying to enhance the political standing of those passing along the contributions to Democratic causes in order to give them clout in arguing for favorable trade and technology policies. China appears to have been following the example of American corporations, which use donations to raise the profile of Washington lobbyists, a senior Justice Department official told the Times under the condition of anonymity. American law prohibits foreign governments from making campaign contributions. Investigators originally believed China was trying to influence the outcome of elections, including President Clinton's re-election campaign. A new phase in Washington's political warfare By Martin McLaughlin 19 May 1998 A new front has been opened up in the political warfare in Washington, with claims by congressional Republicans that the Clinton administration agreed to reverse US policy on the export of satellite technology to China after large campaign contributions from aerospace companies and the Chinese government itself. The Republican charges are based on press accounts, mainly from the New York Times, and on leaks from the US Justice Department, which is conducting a criminal investigation of possible Chinese government efforts to influence the 1996 presidential and congressional elections, including funneling contributions into the campaigns of particular candidates, among them Clinton. Two aspects of the most recent revelations bear examination: the influence on Clinton administration policy of Loral Corporation and Hughes Aerospace, and the reported testimony of Johnny Chung, a Taiwanese-American businessman who gave a total of $366,000 to Democratic Party campaigns in 1996. In the case of Loral and Hughes, the issue was a US government policy, enacted after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, which limited exports of satellite technology to China and required a specific presidential decision to permit American satellite manufacturers to use Chinese rockets as launching vehicles to place their satellites in orbit. After the Clinton administration initially denied permission for such satellite launches, Loral Corporation Chairman Bernard Schwartz became the largest personal contributor to the Democratic Party, giving more than $600,000 for the 1996 campaign and another $421,000 for the current 1998 campaign. His contributions were not in vain. In February 1996 Clinton gave approval to four launches of US-built satellites using Chinese Long March missiles. A month later the authority over such deals was transferred from the State Department, which had opposed the launch approval, to the Commerce Department, which was committed to promoting US corporate access to the lucrative Chinese market. Notwithstanding the expressions of shock and indignation from various politicians and media sources, the role of Loral and Hughes Aerospace is typical of the everyday modus operandi of American capitalist politics. Big corporations give money to their political servants in Washington, and they expect their interests to be looked after in return. Nothing as crude as bribery for a specific decision need take place, since the normal workings of a system well-lubricated with corporate cash insures that the "right" outcome will occur. Last edited by Food Eater Lad; 11-01-2003 at 10:47 PM..