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The first of the three Teng-Carter summit meetings was to be held around the burnished mahogany table in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Vice President Walter Mondale, Vance, Brzezinski and Ambassador-designate to China Leonard Woodcock were scheduled to join Carter. According to U.S. officials who have drafted an agenda, the first major subject was to be a general review of global issues. The talk is virtually certain to focus on China's obsession: Soviet activity around the world. Other likely topics include such crisis situations as Viet Nam's rout of the Chinese-supported regime in Cambodia, the Shah's departure from Iran, tensions in southern Africa.
U.S. officials were certain that Teng and his aides would go on at length about the Soviets' "hegemonist intentions." Said a Government analyst who has heard Teng's presentations several times: "They've been doing that to us for six years." Another State Department expert predicted that no matter how muted Teng might prove in his public statements, in private he would stress that the primary object of his trip was to persuade the U.S. to take a tougher stance toward the Soviet Union. That, said the expert, would take precedence even over Teng's search for help in modernizing China.
Since Africa is an area in which both the U.S. and China have sometimes shared a common interest, Carter was expected to explain how the U.S. attempt to implement the Anglo-American plan for Rhodesia has bogged down. The President may even indirectly solicit Teng's ideas about how China might help to counter Soviet expansionism on the African continent. In addition, Carter was likely to feel Teng out for any discernible shift from the traditional Chinese call for unilateral U.S. withdrawal from South Korea.
High on the summit agenda was a discussion of how to improve trade relations, specifically a way to resolve the problem of frozen assets held by both sides. A longer-range possibility is that the U.S. might grant most-favored-nation status to China. Until now, the highly restrictive emigration policies practiced by both China and the U.S.S.R. have prevented those countries from benefiting from M.F.N. status, under the terms of the 1973 Jackson-Vanik Amendment. Lately, however, Peking has sharply upped the number of emigration permits granted Chinese citizens seeking to join-relatives in the U.S., from about 25 per month in 1978 to about 2,000 in the first weeks of 1979. As a result, it seemed probable that M.F.N. status would be discussed further with China later this year, after visits to Peking on related trade matters by Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal and Commerce Secretary Juanita Kreps. Once China gained M.F.N. status, tariffs could be cut by as much as 200%.
Though the M.F.N. issue will not be fully resolved during Teng's visit, a U.S.Chinese agreement on cooperation in science and technology was expected to be signed by Teng and Carter at a midweek ceremony at the White House. The agreement provides for an exchange of scientists and agriculture specialists. Chinese and American officials are also working on an agreement that would establish U.S. consulates in cities like Shanghai, Chinese missions in Los Angeles and elsewhere.