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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


     DATE=12/16/96
     TYPE=CLOSEUP
   NUMBER=4-09513
    TITLE=CHINA'S ARMS SALES TO THE MIDDLE EAST
   BYLINE=ERICA BENIS
TELEPHONE=619-0934
 DATELINE=WASHINGTON
   EDITOR=PHIL HAYNES
  CONTENT=
CONTENT=   // TAPE INSERTS IN AUDIO SERVICES // 
ANNCR:   CHINA'S DEFENSE MINISTER, GENERAL CHI HAOTIAN, IS ON A 
         TWO-WEEK VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES.  HE IS LEADING THE 
         HIGHEST-RANKING CHINESE MILITARY DELEGATION EVER TO COME
         TO THE U-S, WITH THE PURPOSE OF CONSOLIDATING IMPROVED 
         RELATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING.  GENERAL CHI 
         ASSERTS THAT HIS COUNTRY SEEKS ONLY PEACE AND STABILITY.
         BUT MANY ANALYSTS BELIEVE THAT CHINA'S ARMS SALES TO 
         CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST COULD HAVE A 
         DESTABILIZING EFFECT ON A REGION THAT PRODUCES 20 
         PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S OIL.  FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT 
         CHINA'S MIDEAST ARMS POLICY, HERE IS ___________ WITH A 
         REPORT PREPARED BY VOA'S ERICA BENIS.   
TEXT:    FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES, 
         CHINA'S DEFENSE MINISTER, GENERAL CHI HAOTIAN, HAS BEEN 
         ACCORDED TOP MILITARY HONORS, BEGINNING WITH A 19-GUN 
         SALUTE AT THE PENTAGON.  AFTER HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS IN 
         WASHINGTON, GENERAL CHI AND HIS ENTOURAGE ARE NOW 
         VISITING VARIOUS U-S MILITARY BASES AND INSTALLATIONS. 
         BATES GILL IS DIRECTOR OF EAST ASIA NON-PROLIFERATION 
         PROJECT AT THE MONTEREY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
         STUDIES.  HE SAYS THE NEW U-S -CHINA RAPPROCHMENT IS NOT
         WITHOUT TENSIONS, PARTLY DUE TO CHINA'S ARMS SALES.  
 TAPE:   CUT ONE           GILL
         "ON THE ONE HAND THERE IS A VERY, VERY GREAT NEED FOR US
         TO IMPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIP ACROSS THE BOARD WITH A 
         GREAT POWER SUCH AS CHINA, AND IN PARTICULAR ON MILITARY
         ISSUES. SO I THINK, GENERALLY, THIS IS A GOOD STEP.  WE 
         HAVE CHI HAOTIAN'S VISIT AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN BUILD UPON
         THIS.  IN THE BUILDING AND EXPENDING OF THE 
         RELATIONSHIP, THERE'RE GOING TO BE PROBLEMS.  AND ONE OF
         THE PROBLEMS, ON THE MILITARY SIDE, IS OUR CONCERN ABOUT
         PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS FROM CHINA TO COUNTRIES OF 
         CONCERN TO THE UNITED STATES."
TEXT:    PROFESSOR GILL SAYS CHINA ACKNOWLEDGES, IN SOME CASES, 
         SALES OF WEAPONS AND TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN WHICH HAVE BEEN 
         CONFIRMED BY BOTH PUBLIC AND INTELLIGENCE SOURCES.
TAPE:    CUT TWO         GILL
         "WHAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED ABOUT A YEAR AGO IS THAT THE 
         CHINESE HAVE PROVIDED IRAN WITH SHIP-BORNE LONGER RANGE 
         CRUISE-TYPE MISSILES, WHICH ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LINE 
         IN TERMS OF CHINESE PRODUCTION CAPABILITY.  THESE ARE 
         KNOWN AS THE C-802.  THESE MISSILES HAVE A RANGE OF 
         BETWEEN 60 AND 90 KILOMETERS.  THEY ARE SEA-SKIMMING 
         MISSILES MAKING THEM MORE DIFFICULT, IN THEIR TERMINAL 
         PHASE, FOR COUNTERMEASURES.  IT'S A QUALITATIVE BOOST IN
         THE OFFENSIVE CAPACITY OF THE IRANIAN MILITARY TO 
         THREATEN SHIPPING, INCLUDING AMERICAN MILITARY SHIPPING,
         IN THE PERSIAN GULF."
TEXT:    MICHAEL EISENSTADT IS A SPECIALIST IN MILITARY AFFAIRS 
         AT THE WASHINGTON NEAR EAST POLICY INSTITUTE.  HE SAYS 
         THAT OVER THE YEARS THE CHINESE HAVE SOLD COMBAT 
         AIRCRAFT AND SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES TO THE IRANIANS.  
         BUT HE BELIEVES THE AREA OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR THE 
         UNITED STATES -- WITH REGARD TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS -- 
         IS CHINA'S MORE RECENT SALES OF OFFENSIVE NAVAL 
         TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN. 
TAPE:    CUT THREE           EISENSTADT
         "AND HERE THE CHINESE HAVE PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE 
         IN HELPING THE IRANIANS REBUILD THEIR NAVY AND, IN FACT,
         IN SOME WAYS EXPEND THEIR CAPABILITIES.  THEY PROVIDED 
         MISSILE PATROL BOATS TO THE IRANIANS. THEY PROVIDED 
         RELATIVELY MODERN ANTI-SHIP MISSILES TO PUT ON THESE 
         BOATS.  AND THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN 
         A DEAL TO PROVIDE THEM WITH VERY ADVANCED, VERY 
         SOPHISTICATED MINES."
TEXT:    ANALYSTS SEE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO CHINA'S ARMS SALES
         TO IRAN AND ITS NEED FOR PERSIAN GULF OIL.  RECENT 
         PETROLEUM INDUSTRY STUDIES INDICATE THAT CHINA USES 
         ABOUT 600-THOUSAND BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY.  IF THE 
         CHINESE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GROW AT THE PRESENT RATE, 
         THAT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO ONE-MILLION BARRELS PER 
         DAY BY THE YEAR 2000, AND TO THREE-MILLION BARRELS BY 
         2010.
         MICHAEL EISENSTADT SAYS U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM 
         PERRY HAS TOLD GENERAL CHI THAT EVEN LEGAL ARMS SALES TO
         IRAN CAN DESTABILIZE THE REGION AND CAN THREATEN BOTH 
         U-S AND CHINESE INTERESTS.
TAPE:    CUT FOUR           EISENSTADT
         "IF THE CHINESE WANT TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF 
         THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THERE'S NO REASON FOR THEM 
         TO TRANSFER MINES.  IF THEY WANT TO SELL TANKS OR A 
         COMBAT AIRCRAFT, THAT'S ONE THING.  WE WON'T BE HAPPY 
         ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WHICH IS PERHAPS NOT 
         DESTABILIZING IN THE WAY MINES OR ANTI-SHIP MISSILES 
         ARE."
TEXT:    THEN THERE'S THE QUESTION OF CHINESE ASSISTANCE TO IRAN 
         FOR ITS CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM.  THE PROBLEM, SAYS MR.
         EISENSTADT, IS THAT MUCH OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IS 
         DUAL-USE, MEANING IT CAN BE USED IN BOTH CIVILIAN AND 
         MILITARY PROGRAMS.  THE DELIVERY OF TWO CHINESE NUCLEAR 
         REACTORS PURCHASED BY IRAN HAS BEEN DELAYED BECAUSE OF 
         TEHERAN'S INABILITY TO PAY FOR THEM.  BUT ACCORDING TO 
         MICHAEL EISENSTADT, NOW THERE IS INTERNATIONAL CONCERN 
         OVER REPORTS THAT CHINA HAS DECIDED TO BUILD A URANIUM 
         HEXAFLORIDE CONVERSION PLANT FOR THE IRANIANS.  
TAPE:    CUT FIVE            EISENSTADT
         "THIS KIND OF PLANT TAKES URANIUM AND CONVERTS IT INTO 
         GASUOUS FORM, WHICH IS THE FORM YOU NEED IT IN IF YOU 
         WANT TO ENRICH IT TO PRODUCE EITHER FUEL FOR A NUCLEAR 
         POWER PLANT, OR THE MATERIAL FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPON.  THIS
         IS REALLY VERY HARD TO JUSTIFY.  AND THIS IS CLEARLY 
         SOMETHING WE SHOULD DIG IN OUR HEELS VERY HARD ON AND DO
         EVERYTHING WE CAN TO OBSTRUCT.  BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY 
         DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT IF THIS DEAL WOULD TO GO THROUGH."
TEXT:    BUT CONCERN ABOUT CHINESE ARMS PROLIFERATION IN THE 
         MIDDLE EAST DOES NOT END WITH SALES TO IRAN.  THE U-S 
         INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS SAID TO HAVE CONCLUDED THAT 
         CHINA, LAST YEAR, SOLD PAKISTAN SPECIALIZED MAGNETS FOR 
         USE IN CENTRIFUGES THAT ENRICH URANIUM, A KEY NUCLEAR 
         WEAPONS INGREDIENT.  IT IS ALSO BELIEVED THAT CHINA -- 
         ALONG WITH GERMANY AND RUSSIA -- SUPPLIED IRAQ WITH 
         TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP THE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL 
         WEAPONS THAT THREATENED THE ALLIES DURING THE GULF WAR. 
         NOW THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS, SAYS MICHAEL EISENSTADT, 
         ABOUT SIMILAR CHINESE SALES TO SYRIA. 
TAPE:    CUT SIX            EISENSTADT
         "THERE HAVE BEEN, I THINK, CREDIBLE REPORTS OVER THE 
         YEARS THAT THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING MISSILE 
         TECHNOLOGY TO THE SYRIANS TO HELP THEM CREATE A DOMESTIC
         PRODUCTION CAPABILITY OF SOLID FUEL MISSILES. AND THERE 
         HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF CHINESE ASSISTANCE TO THE SYRIAN 
         CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAM, IF NOT ALSO PERHAPS THE 
         BIOLOGICAL PROGRAM.  WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEIR 
         BIOLOGICAL PROGRAM.  BUT CLEARLY, IN THE CHEMICAL ARENA,
         IT'S POSSIBE THEY'VE PROVIDED TECHNOLOGY AND CHEMICALS 
         WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS."
TEXT:    NON-PROLIFERATION EXPERT BATES GILL SAYS THAT RISING 
         ARMS SALES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND VIOLATIONS OF 
         INTERNATIONAL ARMS ACCORDS -- IF TOTALLY SUBSTANTIATED 
         -- POSE A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO U-S INTERESTS.          
TAPE:    CUT SEVEN           GILL
         "IF -- AND I MAKE THIS A VERY BIG IF -- IF IT IS TRUE 
         THAT CHINA IS IN SOMEWAYS ASSISTING COUNTRIES SUCH AS 
         IRAN OR SYRIA TO DEVELOP WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, OH
         YES, THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT.  BECAUSE 
         OBVIOUSLY THIS SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERS THE BALANCE OF POWER
         PARTICULARLY AROUND THE PERSIAN GULF, AND THE ABILITY OF
         THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER WESTERN POWERS TO MAINTAIN 
         THEIR INTEREST IN THE REGION, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD 
         TO THE SAFE PROVISION OF OIL."
TEXT:    LAST WEEK IN WASHINGTON, CHINA'S DEFENSE MINISTER, 
         GENERAL CHI HAOTIAN, TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE 
         PROLIFERATION ISSUE HAD BEEN -- IN HIS WORDS -- "BLOWN 
         OUT OF PROPORTION" BY THE NEWS MEDIA.  
NEB/EB/PCH
16-Dec-96 1:44 PM EST (1844 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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