CHINA . . . CLINTON CLOUT?

Bending to pressure from the Clinton Administration, the Chinese government has agreed to discuss human-rights and other reforms. Specifically, Beijing said it will resume talks that were suspended in May with the International Red Cross on the issue of access to political prisoners. Also up for discussion: the jamming of Voice of America broadcasts over the mainland and the treatment and status of long-abused Tibetans. "This is a light nudging along," says Ann Simmons, TIME State Department correspondent. "China still has a long way to go." Yet even these concessions didn't come easily: Clinton had to threaten that he would not visit China before Beijing cooperated.