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DATE=5/19/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232452
TITLE=CHINA/PAKISTAN (L ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  CHINA IS CALLING FOR INDIA TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM
FOLLOWING INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS LAST WEEK.  CORRESPONDENT ROGER 
WILKISON REPORTS THE CALL CAME AFTER A TOP PAKISTANI DIPLOMAT 
ENDED TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS IN BEIJING AND RETURNED TO 
ISLAMABAD.
TEXT:  NEITHER THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY NOR THE PAKISTANI 
EMBASSY IN BEIJING WOULD GIVE DETAILS OF THE TALKS MONDAY BETWEEN
PAKISTANI FOREIGN SECRETARY SHAMSHAD AHMED AND CHINESE FOREIGN 
MINISTER TANG JIAXUAN.  
THE PAKISTANI EMBASSY WOULD ONLY SAY MR. AHMED AND HIS CHINESE 
HOSTS DISCUSSED RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.  THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID 
MR. AHMED'S TRIP TO BEIJING WAS PART OF ROUTINE CONSULTATIONS, 
DURING WHICH THE TWO SIDES EXCHANGED EXTENSIVE VIEWS ON RELEVANT 
REGIONAL SECURITY QUESTIONS.
AT THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S REGULAR BRIEFING (TUESDAY), 
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER CHINA ADVISED PAKISTAN AGAINST CONDUCTING
ITS OWN NUCLEAR TEST, WHETHER CHINA IS PREPARED TO DEFEND 
LONG-TIME-ALLY PAKISTAN AGAINST A NUCLEAR ATTACK, OR HOW CHINA 
WOULD REACT TO A PAKISTANI NUCLEAR TEST, WENT UN-ANSWERED.
BUT SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO, SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, 
DENOUNCED INDIA FOR UNDERMINING INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT 
THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND ENDANGERING REGIONAL 
SECURITY.
                     /// INTERPRETER ACT ///
 WE BELIEVE THAT, CURRENTLY, THE OVERRIDING ISSUE FOR THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS TO CONCENTRATE ON ADOPTING A DECISIVE 
AND CLEAR-CUT POSITION AGAINST INDIA SO AS TO PROMPT IT TO GIVE 
UP ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.  ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN THE SECURITY 
ENVIRONMENT OF PAKISTAN AND OTHER SOUTH ASIAN NATIONS BE 
IMPROVED.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. ZHU SAID ALLEGATIONS BY INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEORGE 
FERNANDES THAT CHINA IS THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL THREAT TO INDIA, 
ARE ONLY AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY THE NUCLEAR TESTS.  THE CHINESE 
SPOKESMAN SAYS THE UNITED STATES AGREES WITH CHINA'S POSITION 
THAT INDIA FOLLOWED DOMESTIC POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN 
CONDUCTING ITS TESTS AND CHINA WAS NOT A FACTOR.   (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC/RAE
19-May-98 8:06 AM EDT (1206 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.