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CHINA AGAINST TAIWAN'S INCLUSION IN ANY NATION'S MISSILE DEFENSE

Central News Agency

2005-09-01 15:09:11

    Beijing, Sept. 1 (CNA) Beijing opposes the inclusion of Taiwan in any nation's missile defense system and does not support those countries that want to supply such systems to the island, a ranking Chinese official for arms control affairs said Thursday.

    Zhang Yan, director-general of the arms control department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks while implicitly criticizing the United States' development of a missile defense system at a press conference held by the information office under the State Council.

    Developing such missile defense systems might have an impact on international stability and relations among nations as well as regional security and the proliferation of missile technology, the official said, expressing the hope that "the countries concerned" will have "a careful attitude" in this respect.

    Without giving a direct response to a question raised regarding whether China will threaten Taiwan with its nuclear weapons, Zheng said that China has promised not to use nuclear weapons to attack other countries ever since it first successfully tested an atomic bomb in 1964.

    Furthermore, he said that Beijing has also promised not to use nuclear weapons against those countries and regions that do not possess such weapons. "These promises remain unchanged and will never change in the future as they are an important policy and stance of China on the nuclear issue," he said.

(By T.L. Tseng and P.C.Tang)

Enditem/Li