DATE= 10/7/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-220952
TITLE=CONGRESS/CHINA-NUKES (L ONLY)
BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: WITH A SINO-AMERICAN SUMMIT JUST WEEKS AWAY, CONGRESS IS
TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT ISSUES THAT MAY BE ON THE AGENDA. AMONG
THEM: THE FATE OF A 1985 NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT THAT HAS
NEVER BEEN IMPLEMENTED. AS V-O-A'S PAULA WOLFSON REPORTS, THERE
ARE SIGNS OF MOVEMENT.
TEXT: THE AGREEMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL.
IT TOOK THREE-AND-ONE-HALF YEARS TO NEGOTIATE A PACT THAT WOULD
PERMIT SALES OF U-S NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA. CONGRESS
THEN ADDED CONDITIONS -- SAYING THE AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE
IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT STOPS SELLING NUCLEAR
MATERIALS TO NON-NUCLEAR STATES.
PRESIDENT (RONALD) REAGAN COULD NOT PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATION
(DOCUMENTATION THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE MET). NOR COULD
PRESIDENT (GEORGE) BUSH. BUT A TOP CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
NEGOTIATOR ON NUCLEAR ISSUES -- DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
STATE ROBERT EINHORN -- IS IN BEIJING.
// OPT // SO IS THE PRESIDENT OF A MAJOR U-S CORPORATION THAT
BUILDS NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. // END OPT //
MR. EINHORN IS EXPECTED TO MEET WITH KEY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
AFTER HIS RETURN FROM THE CHINESE CAPITAL. IN THE MEANTIME, THE
HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE IS SOLICITING ADVICE FROM
THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
FIVE SPECIALISTS IN ARMS CONTROL AND NUCLEAR-RELATED ISSUES WERE
BROUGHT IN TO DISCUSS THE MERITS OF IMPLEMENTING THE NUCLEAR
POWER COOPERATION AGREEMENT. THEIR VIEWS RANGED FROM TOTAL
OPPOSITION TO CAUTIOUS SUPPORT.
THE STRONGEST WORDS CAME FROM PRESIDENT REAGAN'S CHIEF ARMS
NEGOTIATOR, (FORMER HEAD OF THE ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT
AGENCY) KEN ADELMAN. HE ONCE WAS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE
AGREEMENT. NOT ANYMORE.
/// ADELMAN ACT ///
I COME TO YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO TESTIFIED A DOZEN YEARS
AGO ON BEHALF OF THE U-S/CHINA AGREEMENT. AND I THOUGHT
AT THAT TIME IT WAS A VERY GOOD DEAL FOR THE UNITED
STATES. I COME TO YOU NOW AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN
DISAPPOINTED BY THE RESULTS.
/// END ACT ///
HE SPOKE OF YEARS OF CHINESE SALES OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO
PAKISTAN AND IRAN. MR. ADELMAN SAID BEIJING CAN PROMISE TO
CHANGE ITS WAYS, BUT ADDED WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH. HE SAID THOSE
CONSIDERING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1985 AGREEMENT, SHOULD TAKE A
CLOSE LOOK AT CHINESE COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL NORMS OF
BEHAVIOR IN AREAS RANGING FROM HUMAN RIGHTS TO ARMS
PROLIFERATION.
/// ADELMAN ACT ///
OVERALL, THE BEST THAT CAN BE SAID IS THAT IT IS A ROCKY
RECORD, IF I CAN BE SO KIND. AND MOSTLY IT IS A PRETTY
DEPLORABLE RECORD.
/// END ACT ///
BUT THE HEAD OF A MAJOR RESEARCH STUDY AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY SAID
THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW POSITIVE SIGNS. JENNIFER WEEKS HAS BEEN
LOOKING INTO THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN USES OF NUCLEAR
TECHNOLOGY. SHE TOLD THE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOULD
IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT IF HE CAN CONFIRM CONTROVERSIAL CHINESE
SALES OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY HAVE COME TO AN END. SHE THEN
SOUNDED A CAUTIONARY NOTE.
/// WEEKS ACT ///
CONGRESS SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THIS
DECISION CRITICALLY, AND SHOULD ASK IF THERE WERE NOT A
SUMMIT COMING UP IN A FEW WEEKS, WOULD WE BE CERTIFYING
CHINA NOW? // OPT // AND IF THE ANSWER IS "NO," THEN
WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT: A SUCCESSFUL SUMMIT OR REAL
PROGRESS FROM CHINA ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION? //
END OPT //
/// END ACT ///
THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES ARGUES CHINA IS
ALREADY BUILDING PLANTS WITH HELP FROM COMPANIES IN FRANCE AND
CANADA. AN INDUSTRY SPOKESMAN TOLD THE COMMITTEE THERE IS NO
STOPPING THE CHINESE NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM. MARVIN FERTEL SAID
EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT IF AMERICAN EXPERTISE IS INVOLVED IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW REACTORS.
/// FERTEL ACT ///
THE RELEVANT QUESTION, ONCE WE SATISFY THE CERTIFICATION
REQUIREMENTS IS NOT WHETHER CHINA SHOULD DEVELOP A
NUCLEAR PROGRAM -- THAT QUESTION HAS ALREADY BEEN
ANSWERED. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD BE THE ONLY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT EXCLUDES
ITSELF FROM ACCESS TO THE CHINA MARKET.
/// END ACT ///
THE INDUSTRY ESTIMATES IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NUCLEAR COOPERATION
AGREEMENT COULD RESULT IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN EXPORT REVENUES,
AND TENS-OF-THOUSANDS OF NEW AMERICAN JOBS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RAE/WFR
07-Oct-97 7:04 PM EDT (2304 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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