By RONALD THERIOT JR., LAPLACE

DEAR EDITOR: President Bush has completed his “working visit” to Communist-controlled China, a visit in which the Communists refused to stop supplying missile technology to North Korea and Iran, among others, and where Mr. Bush referred to the U.S. as “partners” of the Red China regime.

It is unusual that our president would desire partnership with a group that supports nations described by him as part of “an axis of evil.” If the goal of the U.S. government is to root out terror and punish nations that support or harbor terrorists, then why would they persist in maintaining friendly relations with one of the major sponsors of international terrorist groups?

Even if the Chinese Communists did not promote terrorists, why still would the U.S. want to partner with them? After all, Red China has one of the worst human-rights records in world history. This outfit is fanatically anti-religious and totalitarian. They habitually require forced abortions, jail religious and political dissidnets, and even massacre peaceful civilians; remember Tianamen Square?

If the United States continues its support of the Communists in China, then the U.S. is complicit in its evil activities, just as countries that support terrorists are as guilty as the terrorists.

One somewhat positive note of the visit was Mr. Bush’s rather tepid stance that the U.S. would defend the Republic of China on Taiwan against any Communist attack. That remains to be seen.

The President was careful not to refer to the Chinese nation as the Republic of China, but simply as Taiwan. This is because since 1979, the U.S. has endorsed the Communist view that Taiwan is an illegal rebel entity, not a legitimate nation, even though the Republic of China was founded in 1911 and the Communists didn’t come to power in most of the country until 1949.

Of course, Mr. Bush didn’t dare visit Free China, as this would outrage our Communist partners, and complicate our delicate relationship with “President” Zemin and his murderous government.

Maybe I’m out of step with the modern world, but in my opinion, the United States should befriend free nations and have no communion with evil ones. Am I right?