Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=9/29/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-239413
TITLE=CHINA/COLD WAR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  CHINA HAS RESPONDED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO A NEWSPAPER 
REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES CONSIDERED LAUNCHING A PRE-EMPTIVE 
STRIKE AGAINST IT IN 1964 TO HALT ITS DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR 
WEAPONS.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS CHINA SAYS 
SUCH THINKING REFLECTS A COLD WAR MENTALITY.
TEXT:  LAST SUNDAY, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTED THAT TOP AIDES
TO FORMER PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON THOUGHT ABOUT USING NUCLEAR 
WEAPONS TO HALT CHINA'S ATOMIC BOMB PROGRAM, BUT LATER DECIDED 
THAT THE RISKS GREATLY OUTWEIGHED THE BENEFITS.  THE NEWSPAPER 
SAID ITS REPORT WAS BASED ON RECENTLY-DECLASSIFIED STATE 
DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS.
CHINA CONDUCTED ITS FIRST NUCLEAR TEST IN OCTOBER OF 1964.
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN TANG GUOXIANG, ASKED ABOUT THE
REPORT AT A REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING, SAID THROUGH AN INTERPRETER 
TUESDAY THAT SUCH ATTITUDES ARE THE PRODUCT OF A COLD WAR 
MENTALITY AND THE PURSUIT OF A CONTAINMENT POLICY TOWARD CHINA.
                  /// FIRST INTERPRETER ACT ///
         AS KNOWN TO ALL, THIS KIND OF COLD WAR MENTALITY AND 
         CONTAINMENT POLICY ENDED IN TOTAL FAILURE.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. TANG SAYS THE CURRENT STATE OF CHINA / U-S TIES DEMONSTRATES 
CONVINCINGLY THAT THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO 
CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
                 /// SECOND INTERPRETER ACT ///
         THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS AND MUTUALLY 
         BENEFICIAL COOPERATION IS THE ONLY CHOICE IN CONFORMITY 
         WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL INTERESTS OF THE TWO PEOPLES IN 
         CHINA AND THE U-S.
                         /// END ACT ///
ALTHOUGH BEIJING AND WASHINGTON WERE AT ODDS THROUGHOUT THE 
1960'S, A VISIT TO CHINA IN 1972 BY MR. JOHNSON'S SUCCESSOR, 
RICHARD NIXON, PAVED THE WAY FOR THE EVENTUAL NORMALIZATION OF 
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN 1979.  CHINA'S CRUSHING OF PRO-DEMOCRACY 
DEMONSTRATORS NEAR BEIJING'S TIANANMEN SQUARE 10 YEARS LATER SET 
RELATIONS BACK.  BUT AN EXCHANGE OF VISITS  BETWEEN PRESIDENT 
CLINTON AND CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE
SIGNALLED WARMING POLITICAL TIES.
STILL, CHINESE SPOKESMAN TANG SAYS THE TWO COUNTRIES SHOULD LEARN
FROM THE PAST, SO AS TO PREVENT ANY REAPPEARANCE OF WHAT HE 
CALLED THE COLD WAR MENTALITY FROM OBSTRUCTING BILATERAL TIES.
                  /// THIRD INTERPRETER ACT ///
         WE SHOULD DRAW LESSONS FROM HISTORY AND PREVENT THE 
         REVIVAL OF THE COLD WAR MENTALITY AND THE DISTURBANCE TO
         THE IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS.
                         /// END ACT ///
BEIJING AND WASHINGTON STILL REMAIN DIVIDED OVER SUCH ISSUES AS 
HUMAN RIGHTS, CHINA'S HUGE TRADE SURPLUS WITH THE UNITED STATES 
AND U-S ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN, WHICH CHINA CONSIDERS A RENEGADE 
PROVINCE.   (SIGNED) 
NEB/RW/CB/WTW
29-Sep-98 6:47 AM EDT (1047 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.