DATE=9/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA - US MISSILE DEFENSE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-266149
BYLINE=LETA HONG FINCHER
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China is urging the United States to
completely scrap a proposed anti-missile defense
system. Despite President Clinton's announcement last
week that he is delaying a decision on deployment,
Chinese officials seem likely to continue their effort
to shore up international opposition to the proposed
missile shield. Beijing Correspondent Leta Hong
Fincher reports.
TEXT: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi
urged the United States to scrap the anti-missile
defense system as soon as possible, saying that the
proposed system would harm world security.
/// SUN ACT IN CHINESE, THEN FADE ///
Mr. Sun told reporters at a regular briefing that the
National Missile Defense system - aimed at protecting
U-S shores from attack - and the related Theater
Missile Defense system, which would be deployed to
Asia, could set off a global arms race if deployed.
Beijing initially welcomed President Clinton's
announcement that he would defer a decision on
deploying a defense shield, saying that the move was
rational. However, Chinese officials remain deeply
concerned that the next US President could still
deploy the system, or a related system for Asia,
called Theater Missile Defense, or TMD.
A researcher at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies in California, Evan Medeiros,
says that even though the US TMD system would
theoretically target North Korean missiles, China
fears that it could be used to incite Taiwan to
independence.
/// MEDEIROS ACT ///
It [China] opposes American sales of more
advanced theater missile defense systems because
such sales indicate to the Chinese that America
is trying to improve its defense arrangement
with Taiwan . and this would ultimately
complicate any Chinese efforts to reunify with
Taiwan.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Medeiros says China is likely to continue to shore
up international opposition to any U-S missile defense
system.
/// MEDEIROS ACT TWO ///
The Chinese have now become very proactive in
their effort to oppose National Missile Defense
and have been engaging countries all over the
world in an effort to whip up international
public opinion against US missile defense
policies.
///END ACT///
The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Sun, says Chinese
President Jiang Zemin may also use the U-N Millennium
Summit in New York to oppose the missile shield.
(SIGNED)
NEB/HK/LHF/JO
05-Sep-2000 08:17 AM EDT (05-Sep-2000 1217 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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