China Card?

THE FORMATION of Poland's independent trade unions poses the single most serious threat to the Soviet Union since the East Bloc was created after World War II. And there can be no doubt that the Soviets will soon seek to reassert their authority by the inhumane, bloody slaughter of Polish workers.

Yet the majority opinion is disagreeable because it uses the Polish situation as a point of departure from which to engage in self-flagellating rhetoric--rhetoric which will be of little use to the Poles when the armed struggle begins. When the tanks roll into Poland it will be a case of clear, naked Soviet aggression and the world's attention should be focused there. The second opinion is absolutely correct in calling the majority opinion a "grave abdication of responsibility." We can and should help the Polish people resist the Red Army.

But moving towards China in an effort to make the Soviets uncomfortable should not be part of the U.S. response. Providing the Chinese with non-nuclear arms and low-technology equipment would sooner or later be tantamount to military aid. Foreign policy should be conceived with priorities as well as long term interests in mind. And while playing the China card might in this situation have the desired effect we must look beyond the present crisis and contemplate the implications of arming China for the international system. We should also ask ourselves whether the American conscience would benefit from the knowledge that we are allied with a country that is not altogether democratic.