Chinese Spying

Re “Critics Assail Contents of Report on China Spying,” May 26:

Chinese espionage is like a long-festering disease. It eats away silently for years. There is no way to treat it during this covert phase. After the disease has spread, the symptoms are exposed and action must be taken. President Clinton’s national security advisor, Sandy Berger, has stated that he briefed Clinton about Chinese espionage years ago. The president did not take action to stop it. Instead he compounded this malfeasance by relaxing export controls, allowing China to buy critical missile technology and enabling China to target our cities with nuclear weapons.

In order to shift the blame, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has accused prior administrations of knowing about Chinese espionage and doing nothing to stop it. He offers no evidence. Should we believe this self-serving charge? Daschle should apologize to the country for this deception and to the former presidents he has maligned by his wild charges or tell us what he knows.

JOHN HOPKINS

Northridge

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I must agree with Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach): Someone should resign in the wake of the “Chinese spy scandal.” However, I nominate Cox for this dishonor. His demagoguery is most dangerous. Joseph McCarthy only threatened our own justice system; Cox threatens world stability with half-truths, distortions, exaggerations and unsupported accusations.

JOSEPH M. TSCHIRGI

Santa Ana

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Clinton administration officials have betrayed our country to the Chinese for 30 pieces of silver. They should be tried for treason.

GAIL CONDREN

Los Angeles

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George Lucas is right. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering. I totally agree with the necessity of safeguarding our sensitive nuclear technology. However, a blatant accusation of almost every Chinese student, visitor and businessman as a sleeper agent is just ridiculous. Are we inviting China to make a similar accusation of Americans in China? Chinese American scientists and engineers have made indispensable contributions to America. To question their loyalty is not only unfair but also damaging to the interests of the U.S.

VICTOR CHANG

Los Angeles

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The strategy that bankrupted and dismantled the Soviet Union is now being used on China. By giving the Chinese a taste of the hyper-expensive war technologies, they will invest their future in high-tech warfare modes which will bring their economy to its knees with famine, regionalism, political turmoil and bankruptcy. They cannot afford submarines, aircraft carriers, Titan-sized missiles, modern tanks or many of the support systems we now have in place. They have a huge ground force that needs feeding, not computers.

SOL TAYLOR

Sherman Oaks

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I recommend that Bill Clinton and his henchwoman, Atty. Gen. Janet Reno, require a seven-day waiting period and a background security check before they allow foreign nations access to our nuclear technology.

KEN GUSTAFSON

Canyon Country

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Wasn’t it the Republicans who bragged for years that it was they (i.e. President Nixon) who opened the U.S. borders to China?

BOB MULHOLLAND

Los Angeles