Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United States and China this year restored some normalcy to their military relationship, which had been abruptly and violently interrupted last year when the United States accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. V-O-A's Stephanie Mann looks at some of the concerns that surround military interaction between the two powerful nations.

TEXT:The Chinese have never fully accepted Washington's explanation that the May, 1999, bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was an accident. Three people were killed in that incident, which prompted several days of violent anti-U-S protests in China.

The event caused a break in exchanges between U-S and Chinese military officials and their bilateral defense dialogue.

This year, the two sides slowly resumed their consultations. In the most recent meeting, a senior U-S Defense official (Walter Slocombe) held talks in Beijing in November with China's top military officials and said modest steps have been taken. Chinese officials say the talks increased mutual understanding and trust.

However, analysts say the military relationship is proceeding cautiously because of concerns held by the two sides.

From the U-S perspective, there has been wide agreement among many members of Congress that Beijing was benefiting more than Washington from the past military dialogue.

China military specialist June Teufel Dreyer tells the story of a Chinese Army general who visited the United States as the guest of an American general.

/// DREYER ACT ONE ///

He'd never been to the United States before. And he pulls out a list of 19 field manuals. And he says to the host general after dangling an invitation to visit Beijing with a trip to the Great Wall, he says "What's my chance of getting these manuals?" And the American general says, "Oh, no problem, I'll take care of that." So, the (U-S) general gets a visit to the Great Wall, and the Chinese general gets 19 field manuals. And that's what I mean by an asymmetric relationship.

/// END ACT ///

Professor Dreyer, of the University of Miami, says exchanges and consultations are useful. But she says the United States should be sure it's getting something of value from China. Professor Dreyer notes that in the past, U-S and Chinese officials have watched each other's training sessions and live fire exercises and visited each other's ships.

/// DREYER ACT TWO ///

You don't have to show the Chinese navy exactly how an American ship works to demonstrate deterrence, and you don't need to explain how to construct the ship or operate the ship when you let the Navy visit your ship.

/// END ACT ///

Because of these concerns about asymmetry in the relationship, the U-S Congress is calling for a change in the military dialogue. Asian security specialist Ronald Montaperto says, from now on, American military officials are limited in how they deal with their Chinese counterparts in the People's Liberation Army.

/// MONTAPERTO ACT ONE ///

For example, we're not permitted to interact with the P-L-A on operational matters. We're not allowed to talk about nuclear matters. We're not allowed to talk about logistics, or indeed anything that would enable the Chinese to develop their ability to project force, to project power. /// OPT /// Similarly, after every exchange, after every visit, we have to file a report that talks about who we spoke to, what we spoke about, what was said, benefits to the United States, and a whole range of things.

/// END OPT ///

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Montaperto, a senior research professor at the National Defense University in Washington, says the changes mean the U-S-Chinese defense relationship will become mainly a dialogue on strategic and political issues. For example, the two sides will confer about developments on the Korean peninsula, the problem of weapons proliferation, and missile defense.

/// OPT /// Another congressional concern deals with the U-S administration's response to China's promises on nuclear proliferation. For example, Professor Dreyer points to American threats to impose sanctions on China for helping Pakistan with its nuclear weapons program. She says the State Department was reluctant to levy sanctions, saying there was not enough proof that Chinese ring magnets were transferred to Pakistan. After documents were made public showing the proof, Professor Dreyer says the United States accepted China's explanations that it would not happen again.

/// OPT DREYER ACT THREE ///

The bottom line is the same, the Chinese now have good reason to believe that when we threaten them, it's an idle threat. We won't do anything. ... No one can object to dialogue, but I think we have got to learn that if we say we're going to levy sanctions on something, then we have to do it. Otherwise, our credibility is in doubt.

/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///

From the Chinese perspective, they are concerned the United States may build a missile defense system and that it may come to Taiwan's defense if it is attacked by mainland China. In a recent defense White Paper, Beijing called the United States China's biggest potential enemy. Professor Montaperto says the White Paper is full of allegations and misperceptions, yet he says it must be seen as a serious official statement about how China's leaders view the United States.

/// MONTAPERTO ACT TWO ///

I have no illusion that military exchanges involving strategic dialogue and so on are going to offset or are going to change anyone's mind in China. On the other hand, it is better that we talk about these things than allowing them to go to what could be their logical extreme. And so, in that somewhat limited sense, I think the military to military relationship and the dialogue can be helpful.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Montaperto says he expects the new U-S administration and the Chinese government to approach their military relationship in a more realistic way - to accept that there are serious differences and to look for ways to manage them. But he says, because of those differences, the relationship is not likely to become smoother. (Signed)

NEB/SMN/KBK