Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=5/23/98
TYPE=NEWS ANALYSIS
NUMBER=5-40480
TITLE=CHINA / U-S / SATELLITE
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  ONE  MONTH BEFORE THE FIRST VISIT BY A U-S PRESIDENT 
SINCE THE CRUSHING OF THE 1989 PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT -- CHINESE 
OFFICIALS ARE IRRITATED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS A U-S SATELLITE COMPANY
HELPED IT IMPROVE ITS MISSILE TECHNOLOGY.  V-O-A'S ROGER WILKISON
REPORTS BEIJING DENIES ALL SUCH ALLEGATIONS AND IS BLAMING 
"CHINA-BASHERS" IN WASHINGTON FOR STIRRING UP THE FUSS.
TEXT:  THE PROSPECTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL U-S / CHINA SUMMIT NEXT 
MONTH WERE CLOUDED WHEN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED LAST WEEK 
DEMOCRATIC PARTY FUND-RAISER JOHNNY CHUNG TOLD FEDERAL 
INVESTIGATORS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HE CONTRIBUTED TO MR. 
CLINTON'S 1996 CAMPAIGN WERE FROM CHINA'S PEOPLE'S LIBERATION 
ARMY.
MR. CHUNG SAID HE RECEIVED THE MONEY FROM LIU CHAOYING -- A 
CHINESE AEROSPACE EXECUTIVE WHO IS ALSO AN ARMY LIEUTENANT 
COLONEL AND THE DAUGHTER OF A FORMER TOP GENERAL.  MS. LIU DENIES
THE ALLEGATION.
AGGRAVATING THE SITUATION IS A MOVE BY THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO HALT AEROSPACE AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY 
TRANSFERS TO BEIJING.  REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN QUESTION A DECISION
BY PRESIDENT CLINTON LAST FEBRUARY TO WAIVE U-S SANCTIONS AGAINST
CHINA TO ALLOW A U-S FIRM TO LAUNCH ITS SATELLITES ABOARD CHINESE
ROCKETS.
THE FIRM -- LORAL SPACE AND COMMUNICATIONS -- IS RUN BY BERNARD 
SCHWARTZ:  THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO MR. CLINTON'S DEMOCRATIC 
PARTY DURING THE 1996 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
REPUBLICANS ACCUSE LORAL OF GIVING THE CHINESE INFORMATION TO 
IMPROVE THEIR MISSILES' ACCURACY AFTER A CHINESE ROCKET CARRYING 
A LORAL SATELLITE EXPLODED IN 1996.  LORAL DENIES THE CHARGE.
THE WHITE HOUSE, TOO, SAYS THERE WAS NO IMPROPER TRANSFER OF 
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
BUT WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES BOTH
OPENING INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE MATTER, CHINA IS WORRIED 
WASHINGTON'S NEWEST SCANDAL WILL CAST A PALL ON THE SUMMIT.
BEIJING HAS OFFERED TWO AEROSPACE EXPERTS TO DENY IT OBTAINED U-S
TECHNOLOGY AFTER THE 1996 LAUNCH FAILURE.  SATURDAY, CHINA'S 
OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY QUOTED LI JIANZHONG -- PRESIDENT OF 
THE CHINA ACADEMY OF LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY -- AS SAYING 
CHINESE SCIENTISTS, THEMSELVES, WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE 
OF THE LAUNCH FAILURE AND DID NOT NEED ROCKET-LAUNCHING 
TECHNOLOGY FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
A DAY EARLIER, LIU ZHIXIONG -- THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CHINA GREAT 
WALL INDUSTRY CORPORATION, THE FIRM THAT LAUNCHED THE DOOMED 
ROCKET -- SAID FOREIGN SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATING THE EXPLOSION 
MERELY REVIEWED RESULTS OF A CHINESE INQUIRY INTO THE MATTER AND 
DID NOT PASS ON ANY TECHNOLOGY.  MR. LIU SAYS THE FOREIGN 
SCIENTISTS NEVER SHOWED THEIR REPORT TO THEIR CHINESE 
COUNTERPARTS.
IN ADDITION TO DENYING ALL THE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT CAMPAIGN 
CONTRIBUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS, BEIJING HAS INDICATED IT 
SUSPECTS A DARK PLOT BY ANTI-CHINA DIEHARDS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THURSDAY, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO URGED THE 
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TO BLOCK THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -- SAYING A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE IN 
WASHINGTON ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO OBSTRUCT THE SMOOTH DEVELOPMENT 
OF U-S / CHINA TIES.
DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAY CHINA HOPES MR. CLINTON'S VISIT WILL NOT
BE OVERSHADOWED BY THE ALLEGATIONS.  BUT THEY SAY MR. CLINTON 
WILL HAVE TO WALK A POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPE WHILE IN 
CHINA -- SHOWING THE AMERICANS THAT HE CAN BE TOUGH WITH BEIJING 
WHILE SHOWING THE CHINESE THAT HE WANTS CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT IN
U-S / CHINA RELATIONS.  (SIGNED)   
NEB / WD / WD
23-May-98 6:27 AM EDT (1027 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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