Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=6/2/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233196
TITLE=CHINA / NUCLEAR (L ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  CHINA IS URGING INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO AVOID A NUCLEAR 
ARMS RACE, BUT SAYS INDIA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING THE 
TIT-FOR-TAT NUCLEAR TESTS ON THE SUBCONTINENT.  CORRESPONDENT 
ROGER WILKISON REPORTS BEIJING'S CALL COMES AS CHINA AND THE 
UNITED STATES PREPARE TO MEET WITH OTHER PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE
U-N SECURITY COUNCIL THIS WEEK TO DISCUSS WAYS TO STEM THE 
SOUTH-ASIAN ARMS RACE.
TEXT:  CHINA'S APPEAL TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO PRACTICE 
SELF-RESTRAINT CAME A DAY AFTER INDIA ANNOUNCED IT IS INCREASING 
ITS DEFENSE BUDGET.  FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO 
--SPEAKING THROUGH AN  INTERPRETER -- TOLD REPORTERS HIS COUNTRY 
IS DEEPLY WORRIED BY THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ON ITS DOORSTEP.
                     /// INTERPRETER ACT ///
         WE SOLEMNLY APPEAL TO THE RELEVANT COUNTRIES IN SOUTH 
         ASIA TO MAINTAIN MAXIMUM RESTRAINT AND IMMEDIATELY 
         ABANDON THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO 
         AVOID FURTHER AGGRAVATING THE SITUATION SO AS TO 
         FACILITATE PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. ZHU URGED BOTH COUNTRIES TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR 
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY AND THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY, 
SAYING THEIR RECENT ACTIONS RUN AGAINST THE TIDE OF HISTORY.  BUT
WHEREAS CHINA CONDEMNS INDIA'S TESTING, IT ONLY DEPLORES THE 
TESTS CONDUCTED BY ITS LONGTIME ALLY, PAKISTAN.
                     /// INTERPRETER ACT ///
         WE BELIEVE NEITHER INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS NOR PAKISTAN'S 
         NUCLEAR TESTS CONFORMS TO THE HISTORICAL TREND.  AND THE
         CURRENT SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA IS THE SOLE MAKING OF 
         INDIA.  AND PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTS ARE A REACTION TO 
         THE NUCLEAR THREAT OF INDIA.
                         /// END ACT ///
CHINA HAS BEEN FURIOUS WITH INDIA FOR JUSTIFYING ITS NUCLEAR 
TESTS BY CASTING BEIJING AS ITS MAIN THREAT.  ASKED WHETHER CHINA
WOULD RESUME NUCLEAR TESTING AFTER ANNOUNCING A SELF-IMPOSED 
MORATORIUM TWO YEARS AGO, MR. ZHU WOULD ONLY SAY THAT HIS COUNTRY
STANDS FOR THE COMPLETE PROHIBITION AND THOROUGH DESTRUCTION OF 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
CHINA HAS ALWAYS DENIED IT SUPPLIED PAKISTAN WITH THE TECHNOLOGY 
THAT ALLOWED ISLAMABAD TO DEVELOP ITS NUCLEAR AND MISSILE 
PROGRAMS.  MR. ZHU REITERATED THAT DENIAL TUESDAY, SAYING BEIJING
OPPOSES THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND 
THEIR CARRIERS.
                     /// INTERPRETER ACT ///
         AS A RESPONSIBLE MAJOR COUNTRY, CHINA HAS ALWAYS ADOPTED
         A PRUDENT ATTITUDE ON EXPORT OF MISSILES AND HAS 
         EXERCISED RESPONSIBLE CONTROL.  IT IS OUT OF THE 
         QUESTION THAT CHINA HAS TRANSFERRED MISSILES OR RELEVANT
         TECHNOLOGY OR EQUIPMENT.
                         /// END ACT ///
/// OPT ///  MR. ZHU SAYS CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES JOINTLY 
CONVENED A MEETING THURSDAY IN GENEVA OF FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM 
THE FIVE ESTABLISHED NUCLEAR POWERS TO DEAL WITH NUCLEAR 
PROLIFERATION AND THE WORSENING SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA.  /// END
OPT /// 
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN SOUTH ASIA HAS SUDDENLY JUMPED TO THE 
TOP OF THE AGENDA OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S UPCOMING STATE VISIT TO 
CHINA.  MR. CLINTON'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, SAMUEL BERGER, 
IS IN BEIJING PREPARING FOR THE SUMMIT, AND U-S DIPLOMATS SAY THE
INDIAN AND PAKISTANI TESTS HAVE OPENED UP ANOTHER AREA FOR 
POTENTIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES.   
(SIGNED)
NEB/RW/LTD/RAE
02-Jun-98 8:26 AM EDT (1226 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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