Stage Set for Clinton-China One-on-One Leaders of a Superpower and a Rising Power Try to Steady Rocky Relations

Beginning of article

Secretary of State Warren Christopher's meetings in Beijing this week have laid the groundwork for a summit in Manila between the Chinese and American presidents that is expected to further a rapprochement between the world's present and potential superpowers.

Senior US and Chinese officials put a positive spin on talks, and each side predicted that the Nov. 24 meeting between President Jiang Zemin and President Clinton could help build a more stable and wide-ranging relationship.

Sino-US ties had sharply deteriorated for much of Mr. Clinton's first term, with Washington's angry accusations of Chinese human rights violations and Beijing's fury over seemingly …