You would have to have been on a remote vacation or another planet to not have heard a great deal about Southern Asia over the last several weeks. From revelations about money from the Peoples Republic of China flowing into Democratic campaign coffers to India exploding nuclear devices and from President Clinton providing waivers for the export to China of missile technology to a near revolution in Indonesia, it is safe to say that conditions are far from normal in that part of the world. Ancient hostilities have flared up in a major way.

With the next century belonging to the Pacific rim, we must be sensitive to what is happening to all of Asia. Whether we like it or not, we are tied directly to the economics of the region. And today, much of Asia is facing an economic crisis. Japanese bank losses are at an all-time high and US exports are suffering already across-the-board because of a lack of Asian buying power. There has already been an impact on our economy.

When the challenge and turmoil of Indonesia are coupled with the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan, a powder keg exists. Adding to the potential challenge is a resurgence of strained border relations between India and China.

Any evaluation of Southern Asia has to also take into account the demographics. The four countries previously mentioned have a population of close to 2.6 billion. Yet, much of the region remains extremely poor. Compared to some $25,000 per capita income in the United States, India has a per capita income of approximately $300. China is not much better with some $400 in per capita income. Leading the economic parade in the region is Indonesia with a little over $3,000 per capita income. In line with China and India, Pakistan's per capita income is less than $500.

It is difficult for me to understand why India and Pakistan want atomic weapons when they can hardly afford to feed all their people. While the Peoples Republic of China remains a threat to the region because of its size and military strength, that government has recently been flexing its economic muscles in the Western Hemisphere. First, it took over ports at each end of the Panama Canal in a "highly unorthodox" proceeding. Then, it intimidated shipping companies and countries over participation in a Panamanian-sponsored conference on the Panama Canal. Through it all, the United States has wrongly acquiesced in silence towards the actions of the Chinese in our hemisphere.

I am concerned about President Clinton's trip to China. It is one thing to engage the Chinese as a way to encourage democracy. It is quite another thing to foolishly provide them with high tech missile guidance systems in the face of a criminal investigation. And we are about to see the president greeted in the Tiananmen Square, the place where democracy was crushed some eight years ago. That will not be a pretty sight. Either President Clinton is naive or he has just extended Arkansas political machinations to areas of national security.