DATE=5/29/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232974
TITLE=CHINA / PAKISTAN (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CHINA HAS EXPRESSED DEEP REGRET OVER THE FIVE NUCLEAR
TESTS BY PAKISTAN, ITS LONG-TIME ALLY. BUT, AS V-O-A'S ROGER
WILKISON REPORTS FROM BEIJING, CHINA IS BLAMING INDIA FOR
INITIATING THE NUCLEAR RACE IN SOUTH ASIA AND IS REFUSING TO
CONDEMN PAKISTAN.
TEXT: SEVERAL HOURS AFTER PAKISTAN CONDUCTED ITS NUCLEAR TESTS
THURSDAY, CHINA FINALLY ISSUED AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGRETTING
ISLAMABAD'S ACTION. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID CHINA MAINTAINS ITS
OPPOSITION TO THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND FEELS
UNEASY ABOUT THE NUCLEAR RACE IN SOUTH ASIA. IT CALLED ON INDIA
AND PAKISTAN TO ABANDON THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAMS TO AVOID FURTHER
DESTABILIZING THE SITUATION ON THE SUB-CONTINENT.
BEFORE THE PAKISTANI TESTS WERE CARRIED OUT, CHINESE FOREIGN
MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER-- MADE CLEAR THAT BEIJING HOLDS INDIA RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE RISING NUCLEAR TENSIONS IN SOUTH ASIA.
//INTERPRETER ACT//
THE PRESENT SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY CAUSED BY
INDIA. INDIA CONDUCTED NUCLEAR TESTS. IT DISREGARDED THE
STRONG OPPOSITION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THREATENED
ITS NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
//END ACT//
BUT CHINA WILL NOT CONDEMN PAKISTAN FOR RESPONDING IN KIND TO THE
INDIAN TESTS. IT HAS REFUSED TO SIGN ON TO A UNITED NATIONS
SECURITY COUNCIL DECLARATION DEPLORING PAKISTAN'S TESTS.
BEIJING AND ISLAMABAD HAVE ENJOYED A CLOSE MILITARY AND
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP FOR DECADES. WESTERN DEFENSE ANALYSTS
HAVE LONG SUSPECTED THAT CHINA PASSED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY,
INCLUDING A BLUEPRINT OF THE BOMB AND RING MAGNETS TO THE
PAKISTANIS, BUT BOTH BEIJING AND ISLAMABAD HAVE STRENUOUSLY
DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS. U-S OFFICIALS HAVE SAID SUCH TRANSFERS
DID OCCUR UNTIL ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN CHINA MADE A PLEDGE TO
WASHINGTON THAT IT WOULD END ITS NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH
PAKISTAN.
CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE REFUSED TO SAY IN PUBLIC WHETHER BEIJING
COUNSELLED PAKISTAN TO REFRAIN FROM TIT-FOR-TAT TESTING AFTER
INDIA EXPLODED ITS FIVE DEVICES EARLIER THIS MONTH. BUT
DIPLOMATS IN THE CHINESE CAPITAL SAY WASHINGTON WAS TOLD THAT,
AFTER A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON, PRESIDENT
JIANG ZEMIN ASKED THE PAKISTANIS NOT TO STAGE A NUCLEAR TEST.
A CHINESE DIPLOMAT SAYS HIS COUNTRY WILL NOT ABANDON PAKISTAN.
THE DIPLOMAT CONFIRMED THAT BEIJING HAS GIVEN ISLAMABAD
ASSURANCES IT WILL NOT PUNISH PAKISTAN FOR CONDUCTING ITS OWN
NUCLEAR TESTS. STILL, CHINA -- ONCE ASIA'S ONLY NUCLEAR POWER
-- NOW FINDS ITSELF FACING THE PROSPECT OF A NUCLEAR STANDOFF ON
ITS DOORSTEP. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC
29-May-98 5:04 AM EDT (0904 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
