
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994                    TAG: 9406170013 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A18    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940617                                 LENGTH:

USE ECONOMICS

{LEAD} Do not western democracies have a right to expect cooperation and support of their shared hope for world peace from Russia and China? The world's two most explosively dangerous areas are Bosnia and North Korea.

Russia's client state, Serbia, has followed a course of rape, murder and destruction of its former countrymen. Well-supplied in guns and tanks by Russia, the Serbs ignore the United Nations and every diplomatic effort of the Western democracies to halt this bloody, fratricidal war. Only strong pressure from Russia could end this outrageous destruction.

{REST} China's client state, North Korea, is endangering the peace of several eastern-rim countries. As long as China remains silent, North Korea will refuse nuclear inspections and threaten the world with its nuclear capabilities.

For both Russia and China, silence is tantamount to acquiescence. Only their strong display of disapproval will deter the Serbs and the North Koreans. China supplies arms to North Korea, which in turn sells arms to the terrorist states like Iran and Iraq.

The irony is that the economy of both countries is so dependent on the cooperation of the West.

Why, then, are the democracies hesitant to demand that these two countries cease their posture of acquiescence and be a positive force for world peace? The democracies should use their economic leverage to force Russia and China to earn the economic assistance they so badly need.

MILTON H. KAPLAN

Norfolk, May 20, 1994 by CNB