Any sign of a stable, secure relationship between the United States and China should be most welcome to all Americans. But such an arrangement has particular significance for Chinese-Americans, writes PNS commentator Dr. George Koo, especially in a time of widespread anti-Chinese feeling. Koo is an independent business consultant, former Chairman of Silicon Valley based Asian American Manufacturers Association, a Human Relations Commissioner of Mountain View, Ca. and a member of Committee of 100, a national organization of prominent Chinese Americans. PART III OF IV OF A SPECIAL CHINA SERIES.

When two major world powers move toward a cordial and constructive relationship, as the United States and China have, the whole world can breathe easier. Improved security and stability is undoubtedly the single most important outcome we can seek from this bilateral relationship. To Americans of Chinese ancestry living in the U.S., however, a positive bilateral relationship has special significance.

Virtually all Americans trace their ethnic roots to somewhere in the world as a source of pride and identification. It is natural that Chinese in America -- Chinese all over the world, for that matter -- should be proud of a China that has shed the label "sick man of Asia," a China with the economic power to contribute to world stability, a China that can offer a competitive satellite launching service -- in other words, a China that has entered the world's center stage.

Americans' loyalty is not suspect just because they take pride in their country of origin. This should apply to Chinese Americans -- yet the recent indiscriminate bashing of all Chinese Americans over isolated cases of irregular campaign contributions tentatively linked to China suggest that this is not the case.

In the most recent controversy, newspapers have dubbed the former Loral executive a "Chinese-born scientist." Actually, he grew up in Singapore, and is a naturalized American citizen. Since when has the person's place of birth become headline material?

We Chinese Americans face a choice. We can remain confined in a psychological detention camp or we can speak up. The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and other Asian Pacific American organizations are speaking up by promoting regular participation in voting.

When certain interests in the U.S. demonize China to advance their own domestic political agenda or as a guise for race baiting, our sacred rights are being threatened. We need to promote reality-based bilateral relations to overcome this demonizing and protect our civil and political rights.

Ever since the brutal quelling of the Tiananmen protest in June 1989, the western media has been relentlessly critical of China. Members of Congress, other politicians and pundits on influential dailies have been doggedly one sided in their comments, ignoring the rapid rate of reform there. With few alternative sources of information, most Americans have very little idea of the economic, social and political advances taking place inside China. Thus, the burden falls on the shoulder of Chinese Americans -- with insight and knowledge of both cultures -- to set the record straight.

Telling America about positive advances in China will promote mutual understanding and contribute to building a durable relationship. This is not the same as acting as apologists or lobbyists on behalf of Beijing.

Whenever I can, I feel that I have an obligation to explain China to the U.S. and America to China. I do not gloss over China's real problems -- I think my background allows me to see the defects and deficiencies of that still evolving society more clearly than many of its own citizens.

I was born in China but educated in the U.S. from the sixth grade. I have visited China regularly over the last twenty years and witnessed the changes occurring in that dynamic society. My bicultural background enables me to separate the facts from the fiction that has been bedeviling this bilateral relationship. My dream is to help restore the friendship that used to exist between these two great nations.