Chinese Premier Speaks at MIT, Draws Protesters

Thousands filled the streets in protest and welcome as Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji gave a speech downplaying U.S. trade deficit concerns at MIT's Kresge Auditorium yesterday.

Zhu's speech began just before 11 a.m., but demonstrators began to gather at 6 a.m. outside. The crowd grew to more than 4,000 by late morning, according to the MIT news office.

Zhu's visit to MIT was the last stop on his nine-day, six-city U.S. tour expected to draw protests of China's human rights abuses.

The demonstrations were lively as protestors and Zhu's supporters squared off. According to Cambridge Police Department spokesperson Frank T. Pasquarello, the police made three arrests for disorderly conduct.

In Zhu's address, he told American not to be concerned with economic competition as China attempts to become part of the World Trade Organization.

"Don't make such a big deal out of this trade deficit," Zhu said. "This is not such a serious problem."

The U.S. estimate of $57 billion is bloated, he said. According to Zhu, the deficit is actually closer to $21 billion.

He explained the difference by saying that Chinese manufacturers often assemble from raw materials and then export the goods. Thus, many Chinese exports to the U.S. "represent a transfer of exports to the U.S. by these other countries and regions," he said.

After speaking at MIT, Zhu attended a luncheon in Boston with a group from Harvard including President Neil L. Rudenstine, University Marshall Richard M. Hunt and Ford Professor of the Social Science Ezra F. Vogel, also director of the Fairbanks Center for East Asian Studies.

While Vogel praised Zhu as a "very effective communicator," he said that his equivocal responses on human rights concerns, including the recent sentencing of political dissident Xu Wenli, are indicative of internal political pressure.

"In answering those questions, he has to answer to the political right at home. I think those answers have been less than satisfactory for Americans," Vogel said.

Although the most visible demonstrators were human rights protestors burning

several Chinese flags, most at yesterday'sspeech welcomed the premier.

Lin liu, a senior at Tufts Universityoriginally from Beijing, said he supported hiscountry by waving two flags, Chinese and American.

Liu was part of the Tufts Association forChinese Students, which sent 40 students to therally.

Just a few feet away, Sonam Palder, a native ofTibet, wore a bright yellow vest proclaiming"China Out of Tibet" as he wove the Tibetan flag.

In 1956, the Chinese Army killed Palder'sgrandmother, and his aunt, Palder said. He fledTibet in 1959 to India while his father was stillin prison.

He still remembers when the Chinese Armyvisited his home right before they fled, searchingfor information on an escaped dissident. He wasseven years old at the time.

"They pointed a gun at my mother, who yelled'My God, I don't know'. They kicked her to theground and said 'Where's God? Show me God"',Palder recounted.

A Harvard student who asked named stressed theimportance of education.

"Once people have knowledge, you can gainfreedom. You don't know what freedom is when youdon't have an education," she said.

In fact, she said, education is more importantthan a free democracy.

"I don't mind who controls the government; themost important thing is education."

Most demonstrators were from the Boston area,although they came from all over New England toattend Zhu's visit.

Over 50 students bussed down from theUniversity of New Hampshire (UNH) to welcome theChinese p premier.

Xiang Qu, a second-year UNH graduate student,expressed his sentiments with a red and yellowsign reading "Splitism Go To The Hell."

"We just love our country; we want to keep itunited. There's no way Tibet should be liberated,"he said.

"The American people should go to Tibet to seewhat it's like. I think most of them get paid toprotest against the Chinese government."

Others, like Youg Zhou, a fifth-year BostonUniversity graduate student who had a close friendshot at the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989,were more critical.

"We still have a lot of room for progress. Ifeel sorry for what happened," he said.

With 10 years hindsight, however, he said it'stime to move on to more immediate issues, like theeconomic crisis that took Asia in its grip in July1997.

"It's hard to talk about democracy on a hungrystomach," he said.CrimsonOwen P. LefkonA WARMER WELCOME:Zhu supporterscounter protesters he drew at MIT yesterday.

several Chinese flags, most at yesterday'sspeech welcomed the premier.

Lin liu, a senior at Tufts Universityoriginally from Beijing, said he supported hiscountry by waving two flags, Chinese and American.

Liu was part of the Tufts Association forChinese Students, which sent 40 students to therally.

Just a few feet away, Sonam Palder, a native ofTibet, wore a bright yellow vest proclaiming"China Out of Tibet" as he wove the Tibetan flag.

In 1956, the Chinese Army killed Palder'sgrandmother, and his aunt, Palder said. He fledTibet in 1959 to India while his father was stillin prison.

He still remembers when the Chinese Armyvisited his home right before they fled, searchingfor information on an escaped dissident. He wasseven years old at the time.

"They pointed a gun at my mother, who yelled'My God, I don't know'. They kicked her to theground and said 'Where's God? Show me God"',Palder recounted.

A Harvard student who asked named stressed theimportance of education.

"Once people have knowledge, you can gainfreedom. You don't know what freedom is when youdon't have an education," she said.

In fact, she said, education is more importantthan a free democracy.

"I don't mind who controls the government; themost important thing is education."

Most demonstrators were from the Boston area,although they came from all over New England toattend Zhu's visit.

Over 50 students bussed down from theUniversity of New Hampshire (UNH) to welcome theChinese p premier.

Xiang Qu, a second-year UNH graduate student,expressed his sentiments with a red and yellowsign reading "Splitism Go To The Hell."

"We just love our country; we want to keep itunited. There's no way Tibet should be liberated,"he said.

"The American people should go to Tibet to seewhat it's like. I think most of them get paid toprotest against the Chinese government."

Others, like Youg Zhou, a fifth-year BostonUniversity graduate student who had a close friendshot at the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989,were more critical.

"We still have a lot of room for progress. Ifeel sorry for what happened," he said.

With 10 years hindsight, however, he said it'stime to move on to more immediate issues, like theeconomic crisis that took Asia in its grip in July1997.

"It's hard to talk about democracy on a hungrystomach," he said.CrimsonOwen P. LefkonA WARMER WELCOME:Zhu supporterscounter protesters he drew at MIT yesterday.