DATE=4/11/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-U-S (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261159
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China says it is ready to resume a bilateral
dialogue with the United States on weapons
proliferation that was suspended after NATO bombed the
Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia last year. But, as VOA
correspondent Roger Wilkison reports, Beijing is still
insisting that Washington give it what it calls a
satisfactory explanation of the attack.
TEXT: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi says
China and the United States are currently conducting
consultations on how to resume the bilateral dialogue
on arms proliferation. Speaking through an
interpreter, he says the resumption of such talks was
raised recently by U-S National Security Advisor Sandy
Berger when he visited Beijing.
/////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
The Chinese side has already expressed willingness to
resume these dialogues. The two sides are conducting
diplomatic consultations on this issue.
/////END ACTUALITY/////
Since NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in
Belgrade last May sent China-U-S relations into a
tailspin, ties have slowly improved, and most contacts
have been renewed. Last November, Washington and
Beijing negotiated a landmark accord on China's
accession into the World Trade Organization. Earlier
this year, exchanges between the two nations' top
military officers were resumed. And now, with the
possibility of China-U-S talks on arms proliferation
starting up again, all that is left for resumption is
a bilateral dialogue on human rights issues. But
China has indicated that there is no chance that will
be renewed anytime soon, because Beijing is angry at
U-S plans to criticize its human rights record at the
annual session of the United Nations Human Rights
Commission in Geneva.
/////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
We hope the U-S side can take the attitude of holding
a dialogue instead of confrontational attitudes in
this regard so as to resume the China-U-S dialogue on
human rights as soon as possible.
/////END ACTUALITY/////
China is still rejecting the US explanation that the
bombing of its Belgrade embassy was caused by faulty
targeting procedures at the Central Intelligence
Agency. It also brushes off the firing of a C-I-A
official involved in making targeting decisions and
the administrative punishment meted out to six others.
Spokesman Sun says Beijing is holding out for a
comprehensive investigation of the incident.
/////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
We think the U-S explanation on this issue is hardly
convincing and unacceptable to us.
/////END ACTUALITY/////
Does China still think that the bombing was
deliberate?
/////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
That is the question that we are waiting for the U-S
side to explain to us.
/////END ACTUALITY/////
Washington said on Monday that it would be offering
Beijing no further explanation of the bombing, despite
China's rejection of the U-S account. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC
11-Apr-2000 07:02 AM EDT (11-Apr-2000 1102 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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