Arms Dealer’s Visit Called Inappropriate

President Clinton said Friday it was “clearly inappropriate” that a Chinese weapons dealer was allowed to attend a White House reception with him. But he said he had no recollection of meeting the man, whose company is implicated in arms smuggling.

Amid a widening Justice Department inquiry into Democratic campaign fund raising, the White House said the president had been host for a Feb. 6 reception attended by arms dealer Wang Jun. Wang’s invitation was arranged by Democratic Party fund-raiser Charles Yah Lin Trie.

It was disclosed this week that Trie - a longtime friend of Clinton from Little Rock, Ark. - had brought two large manila envelopes containing $460,000 to the legal defense fund of the president and first lady last March. The money was returned in June because of questions about its origins.