DATE=5/14/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40380
TITLE=CHINA / INDIA
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA AND INDIA ARE THE TWO MOST-POPULOUS COUNTRIES IN
THE WORLD. MUTUAL SUSPICIONS REMAIN, AFTER THE TWO COUNTRIES
FOUGHT A SHORT WAR MORE THAN 35 YEARS AGO. V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO
REPORTS THE THIRD COUNTRY IN THE CURRENT NUCLEAR PICTURE IS
PAKISTAN -- A COUNTRY INDIA ACCUSES CHINA OF PROVIDING WITH
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY.
TEXT: BLAME FLIES FREELY AMONG THE THREE ASIAN NEIGHBORS --
CHINA, INDIA AND PAKISTAN.
CHINA AND INDIA FOUGHT A BRIEF WAR IN 1962 AND PARTS OF THE
BORDER BETWEEN THE TWO GIANTS ARE STILL UNDER DISPUTE.
PAKISTAN AND INDIA ARE FIGHTING OVER THE KASHMIR REGION TERRITORY
ON THEIR MUTUAL BORDER.
MEANWHILE, CHINA IS ACCUSED OF SUPPLYING MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO
ITS OLD FRIEND, PAKISTAN.
RECENTLY, INDIAN OFFICIALS HAVE SAID CHINA POSES THE BIGGEST
MILITARY THREAT TO INDIA. CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU
BANGZAO SAYS CHINA REJECTS THIS ACCUSATION.
// ZHU AND TRANSLATOR ACTUALITY //
(CHINESE) IT HAS MALICIOUSLY ACCUSED CHINA OF POSING A
NUCLEAR THREAT TO INDIA. THIS IS UTTERLY GROUNDLESS.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE CHINESE SPOKESMAN, INSTEAD, ACCUSES INDIA OF TRIGGERING AN
ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA BY CONDUCTING NUCLEAR TESTS THIS WEEK.
// ZHU AND TRANSLATOR ACTUALITY //
(CHINESE) IT WILL ENTAIL SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO THE
PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE WORLD AT
LARGE.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SUMMONED INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA
VIJAY KUNHIANANDAN NAMBIAR THURSDAY TO HEAR CHINA'S CONCERNS.
AMBASSADOR NAMBIAR DEFENDS HIS COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR TESTS AS BEING
CAREFULLY CALIBRATED, RESTRAINED AND RESPONSIBLE.
// NAMBIAR ACTUALITY //
I EMPHASIZED THAT WE DID NOT INTEND TO ENTER INTO ANY
KIND OF ARMS RACE IN THE REGION, BUT THAT WE HAD
LEGITIMATE SECURITY CONCERNS. AND, THAT IT WAS
THEREFORE UNDERSTANDABLE, IT SHOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE,
THAT THE DEMONSTRATION OF OUR CAPABILITIES HAS BEEN A
REGULAR FEATURE FOR US TO ASSURE OUR OWN PEOPLE AND TO
VALIDATE OUR TECHNOLOGY. AND THESE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE
PROVOCATIVE AND THEY'RE NOT PROVOCATIVE ACTIONS.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE INDIAN AMBASSADOR ADDED THAT -- CONTRARY TO CHINESE
STATEMENTS -- INDIA IS NOT TRYING TO OBTAIN HEGEMONY IN SOUTH
ASIA.
// NAMBIAR ACTUALITY //
I REJECTED CATEGORICALLY ANY CHARACTERIZATION OF OUR
POLICY AS WHAT THEY CALL HEGEMONISTIC, STATING THAT THIS
WAS NEITHER APPROPRIATE NOR CONDUCIVE TO OUR DEVELOPING
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST.
// END ACTUALITY //
CHINA CONDUCTED ITS LAST NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IN 1996 AND HAS
INDICATED IT DOES NOT PLAN TO RESUME TESTING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS PAKISTAN MAY BE PREPARING FOR AN
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TEST AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK, IN RESPONSE TO
THE INDIAN TESTS. THE NEWSPAPER QUOTES U-S OFFICIALS AS SAYING
THEY HAVE CLEAR SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE PAKISTAN NUCLEAR TEST FROM
SPY SATELLITES, FOREIGN AGENTS AND PAKISTAN'S POLITICAL LEADERS.
(SIGNED)
NEB / HO / WD / WD
14-May-98 7:11 AM EDT (1111 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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