Chinese Ambassador Refutes Allegations
March 16, 1999
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Li Zhaoxing refuted reports by some American media about the so-called China's "theft" of U.S. nuclear secrets as "completely unfounded" and "extremely irresponsible."
China has always strictly abided by the norms of international law and carried out in good faith agreements of cooperation with other countries. China has never engaged itself in any illegal activities abroad, Li said in an interview on March 14 in Washington DC with Xinhua, People's Daily and Chinese Central Television.
Some U.S. newspapers alleged that at the end of the 70s, a Taiwan-born American scientist at a laboratory in California leaked to China neutron-bomb secrets, and in the middle of the 80s, China was again given warhead secrets so that China could produce weapons of a similar kind.
"These are sheer fabrications," Li said.
The lab-to-lab exchanges between Chinese and American scientists which were sensationally described by some American reporters were, in fact, nothing more than regular topics at international scientific conferences and of normal academic activities, he said.
Li also retorted the rumor about the alleged leakage of U.S. laser technology to China. In an open letter published in February 1998, seven Chinese scientists refuted the allegation by providing lots of convincing evidence. But not a single American newspaper has so far had the courage to publish the letter, nor has any American reporter responded to it, he said.
In the 90s, Li said, laboratories of the two countries did have some exchange and cooperative programs. This was done at the request of the U.S. side and in accordance with the principles of equality and mutual benefit, openness and transparency.
Such exchange programs are very common among many countries in the world and have nothing to do with the so-called "lab-theft". "I'm glad to see that quite a few Americans have recently spoken out, clearly stating that these fabrications were made out of ulterior political motives," Li said.
According to Li, many scientists and engineers in China had written to him, expressing indignation over the irresponsible U.S. press reports, which they regarded as an insult to Chinese scientists and as a sign of arrogance and prejudice on the part of the rumor-mongers.
Chinese scientists are capable and intelligent enough to develop China's own high-technology, and they are willing to conduct exchanges with foreign counterparts and learn from each other, Li said. But, he stressed, "this can only be done on the basis of mutual respect."
Li said that it is no surprise that rumors and slanders have occurred again recently, since there are always some people in America who do not want to see any progress in Sino-U.S. relations.
Sino-American ties have been moving forward following the successful exchange of visits by the heads of state of the two countries, but those people who felt unhappy with these developments started to make troubles. They played up "China threat", trying to stymie normal scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation and undermine the sound development of the relations between the two countries.
Li noted that those people who refuse to accept hard facts and still cling to Cold War mentality in disregard to the common interests and aspirations of the Chinese and American peoples will go nowhere.
Ambassador Li said that the Chinese people treasure the friendly ties between China and the United States. The upcoming official visit by Premier Zhu Rongji to the United States at the invitation of President Clinton represents another major event in Sino-U.S. relations. People from various quarters of this country have expressed their warm welcome to Premier Zhu. This is the mainstream in American society. We are ready to work together with American people to overcome obstacles so as to make the visit a success.
-End-
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
