Do the needs / rights of our compatriots take precedence over those who live beyond our state borders ?

Abstract

States keep hesitating between what they consider their moral duty towards the human beings of the whole world and the pursuit of their own interests. When President Clinton flies to China, his discourse shows both the care his nation takes about Human Rights and the fear that his going on too far on such subjects might threaten the US commercial interests in the potentially biggest market of the world