Next stop: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing.

CHINA WILL INEVITABLY BE the focus of important news developments in 1994, and in anticipation of these events NCEW is planning a two-week trip in May, to China -- to Greater China: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

By July, President Clinton must make a decision on whether to continue China's status as a Most Favored Nation in trade. That decision will depend on China's behavior on human rights, although issues such as trade and arms proliferation will almost certainly figure in the pre-decision debate in Congress and elsewhere. No matter what he decides, the issue will be controversial.

China's extraordinary, and controversial, economic development policies will also remain a high-profile issue. Deng Xiaoping, China's paramount leader, is 89; his death will portend important change. All of these issues and others, we plan to investigate. En route to the Middle Kingdom, we plan a brief stop to appraise the economic/political situation in Taiwan, one of Asia's more dramatic economic success stories. Can the lessons of Taiwan be applied to other countries? To what extent, if any, does Taiwan look for eventual reunification with the mainland?

Our stepping-off point to the China mainland will be Hong Kong. A good story exists there: on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong is scheduled to be returned to Chinese control. It is also where many China-watchers are located, including Robin Munro, of the human-rights organization Asia Watch. We hope to be briefed by some of them before entering China.

That will be an important briefing, as will some of our subsequent contacts in China. The Clinton administration is trying hard to sensitize the until-now boorish Chinese on the importance of human rights. Unless they make significant progress on that issue, it is unlikely Clinton will recommend, or Congress will allow, extension of the MFN trade status. We are going to try as hard as possible to talk to as many people as possible on this issue -- one that figures to be of enduring importance in U.S.-Chinese relations.

The initial plan calls for one or two days in Taiwan, followed by an equally brief stay in Hong Kong. Thence, we plan to journey by train to Guangzhou for a first look at China's economic development. Then on to Shanghai, traditionally an international city of commerce, and a city where experiments are being made in local municipal administration.

From there, tentative plans call for a trip to the interior of China, to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province. Some of these interior cities have not been so significantly influenced by China's ambitious economic and social development policies, and our hope is to interview local government officials and others about local conditions.

From Lanzhou, the plan calls for a trip to Beijing, which will almost certainly be the climax of the journey. Hopefully, we will be in Beijing during a much-anticipated China Conference on Trade and the Market Economy, which is planned for May 15-21. This conference is expected to attract several hundred Chinese government leaders, legislators, business executives, legal professionals, and others.

Beyond that, we hope to interview local, regional, and national government officials, human-rights dissidents, diplomats, economists, business executives (including executives of U.S. and other foreign firms operating in China), journalists, religious leaders, academics, and others. With any luck, we may be able to visit some of the prisons that the Chinese have reluctantly opened to visits by some U.S. officials and the Red Cross. An effort is going to be made to get a briefing from the until-now closed-mouthed Chinese defense ministry on the subject of arms sales to Syria and other nations.

Globe Travel Service of Washington, D.C., which has arranged several other NCEW trips, estimates the cost of the trip to be about $4,000, which would cover air fare, ground transportation, and hotel accommodations.

Suggestions with respect to items on the itinerary are eagerly sought and will be gratefully appreciated, as will be the names of possible contacts/news sources in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

Since the plan is tentatively scheduled for May 5-22, those interested in going should reply as soon as possible to Dick Foster at the Milwaukee Journal, who is organizing the trip. Through March, you can reach me at the newpaper's Washington bureau, 940 National Press Building, telephone [phone], and after that at 333 W. State Street, Milwaukee WI 53201.

Or you can get in touch with NCEW president Joe Geshwiler at The Atlanta Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta GA 30303, telephone [phone].

Again: May seem like a long way off, but time moves very quickly, so those interested should get in touch with me ASAP.

Dick Foster is a Washington-based editorial writer for The Milwaukee Journal.

Do your part to promote diversity

As a part of its effort to encourage diversity in editorial and opinion pages, NCEW will play a significant supporting role at the upcoming Unity '94 conference.

The July 27-31 event in Atlanta brings together an unprecedented roster of co-sponsors:

* NCEW.

* Asian-American Journalists Association.

* National Association of Black Journalists.

* National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

* National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

* Native American Journalists Association.

NCEW will conduct individual writing critiques for editorial writers and columnists at the conference. The critique session was a big hit at last year's NABJ convention in Houston, and critiques will be offered on a larger scale this year.

A panel discussion titled "Everybody's got an opinion -- Yours can make a difference" will serve as a survival guide to life as an editorial writer. The panelists will provide practical hands-on advice for dealing with issues that journalists (and especially minority journalists) encounter when they move from the newsroom to the editorial department.

NCEW will staff a recruiting booth at the Unity '94 Job Fair. Members will be on hand to answer questions, distribute NCEW materials, and encourage attendants to consider the benefits of membership.

If you can help with preparations or staffing for Unity '94, please contact Mary Ellen Butler, 4384 Arrowwood Circle, Concord CA 94521, [phone]; or Rick Horowitz, 4014 N. Morris Boulevard, Milwaukee WI 53211, [phone].

Please respond. Just a few hours of your time can make an enormous difference.

Unity '94 convention schedule

Tuesday, July 26

8 a.m.-6 p.m.            Exhibits and Job Fair set-up
6-8 p.m.                 Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, July 27

9 a.m.-6 p.m.            Exhibits and Job Fair
6:30-10 p.m.             Opening reception/entertainment

Thursday, July 28

8-9 a.m.                 Continental breakfast
9 a.m.-6 p.m.            Exhibits and Job Fair
9:30-10 a.m.             Opening ceremony
10 a.m-Noon              Plenary #1
12:30-2 p.m.             Lunch and speaker

Friday, July 29

8-9 a.m.                 Continental breakfast
8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.         Professional skills seminars/workshops
9 a.m.-6 p.m.            Exhibits and Job Fair
9:30-11:30 a.m.          Plenary #2
12:30-2 p.m.             Lunch and speaker

Saturday, July 30

8-9 a.m.                 Continental breakfast
8:30 am.-1 p.m.          Professional skills seminars/workshops
9 a.m.-3 p.m.            Exhibits and Job Fair
9:30-11:30 a.m.          Plenary #3
6 p.m.-Midnight          Closing celebration