[EXCERPTS] TRANSCRIPT: ALBRIGHT 2/24 PRESS CONFERENCE AT CHINA WORLD HOTEL AS RELEASED BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
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First, it was agreed during Secretary Christopher's time that we would consult regularly on non-proliferation and arms control issues. Our ability to work together on the comprehensive test ban treaty and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty provides a solid foundation for cooperation. Over the past several years, that cooperation has included Chinese agreement to formulate and adopt comprehensive, nation-wide regulations on nuclear export controls. Agreement not to provide assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities and an expression of their intent to respect the guidelines of the missile technology control regime. Halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is an area of utmost interest to the United States and to the preservation of global peace and security. By working together, China and the United States can make a substantial contribution to this effort. We have agreed today that expert talks on this subject will be held in Beijing in mid-March.
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QUESTION: Madam Secretary, may I pick you up on your first point on shipments of technology? Every time there is a disclosure or allegation that China is shipping dangerous technology to Pakistan or elsewhere, we are assured that the Chinese have been consulted and that there is nothing to the report. And yet, you have set up talks. Should we imply from that you now have some questions or infer from that that you now have some questions on your mind about China's compliance or with the regime? You did mention Korea. Is there something to be said about the process and has it become clearer now how it will proceed -- the Korea peace talks, I mean.
ALBRIGHT: On the missile technology transfer issue, let me just say: We share common interests with the Chinese and much progress has been made since the 1980's when our views were in fact radically different. We have had the NPT renewal, the CTBT, the May 11 agreement not to assist unsafeguarded nuclear facilities. Problems do remain and they are principally in areas of missile technology and chemical weapons precursors, and we have in fact set up expert talks so that these concerns would allow us to deal with those concerns and allow the opportunity to build on progress to date and take additional steps. On the question of Korea, we did discuss my trip to Seoul, and the issue of Mr. Hwang and I discussed with them my conversations in Korea about it and that we expected this to move smoothly and in a humanitarian way.
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