ABM: Jiang Backs Putin On Axed Arms Treaty - SCMP [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]

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HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- Saturday, December 15, 2001 2:17 PM SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST Saturday, December 15, 2001 Jiang backs Putin on axed arms treaty Leaders reinforce support for 'strategic balance' in last-minute phone call AGENCIES Prev. Story | Next Story President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin held consultations immediately before the United States announced it would pull out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. State media said Mr Jiang received phone calls from Mr Putin and US President George W. Bush while he was visiting Myanmar. Mr Jiang told Mr Putin China believed that under the present global situation it was important to maintain the existing international regimes on arms control and arms reduction, Xinhua said. Mr Jiang and Mr Putin discussed the issue just before Mr Bush issued his statement on Thursday that the US would abandon the treaty in order to deploy a missile defence system, the People's Daily said. A Kremlin spokeswoman said the two men exchanged views that showed the same approach towards "supporting the strategic balance in the world and preserving international stability and security". Interfax news agency quoted Mr Putin's press secretary as saying that the Kremlin leader had also discussed the US move with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Russia's lower house of parliament yesterday rejected a resolution condemning the US withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The draft resolution reflected Russian politicians' displeasure following Mr Bush's announcement. Mr Putin stressed that he considered Mr Bush's decision a mistake but that Russia's own security would not be damaged. Mr Jiang urged Mr Bush in the phone call to preserve the international arms-control system. "China will make its own efforts to work with every nation of the world to continue to uphold world peace and stability," Mr Jiang was quoted as saying. Beijing worries that Mr Bush's plans to develop a missile defence system will undercut the deterrent value of its small nuclear arsenal. Mainland officials have warned that Beijing might respond by building more nuclear missiles or trying to make its existing missiles more accurate. Both Beijing and Moscow have viewed the ABM treaty as the cornerstone of the global strategic balance and strongly oppose the unilateral withdrawal of the US from the treaty and the planned missile defence shield. China's Foreign Ministry expressed "concern" at the US announcement and called on the US for new security dialogue to discuss Washington's missile defence initiative. "We've taken note of the relevant reports and express our concern," spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said. "China is not in favour of missile defence systems. "We hope the US will heed seriously the opinion of other countries and cautiously handle this issue." The US was ready to hold a dialogue with China but details had yet to be set, a US administration official said. Mr Bush spoke to Mr Jiang on Thursday morning, the White House said. A fledgling strategic partnership between China and Russia has been largely based on fears of an over-dominant America in the post-Cold War era and has centred on joint opposition to US plans to build a national missile shield. The proposed shield is illegal under the ABM treaty. Beijing is also concerned the shield could one day be extended to East Asia and cover Taiwan.   Saturday, December 15, 2001 Scrapping nuclear deal spells trouble RAY CHEUNG Prev. Story Washington's abandonment of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty could cause strategic problems for Beijing. The move will pave the way for the US administration's plan to develop its proposed missile defence system without any treaty violations. And if the system is a success, China's small nuclear missile arsenal could be rendered useless. According to Washington's Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, China is estimated to have only about 20 missiles that can reach American shores, while the United States has 5,949 warheads on 1,238 missiles and bombers all capable of hitting Chinese targets. Beijing is worried not only about missile defence but the enormous ramifications the US withdrawal will have on international nuclear arms control. Professor Li Bin, director of the arms control programme at Beijing's Tsinghua University, said: "Our goal is to develop our economy, which needs a peaceful global environment and a stable global military equilibrium. With the US leaving the ABM treaty, it has broken this stability." Beijing fears the Bush administration's action will mean nations will no longer agree to any nuclear disarmament control treaties. This could push China into a regional arms race with India and Pakistan. China would have to divert resources from economic development to building up its military strength, which it is loathe to do. "We have enough domestic concerns. An arms race is only a rich man's game. A poor man cannot play," said Professor Niu Jun, American foreign policy expert at Beijing University's Institute of International Studies. In the past few years, Beijing has expanded its defence budget. It was announced this year that China would increase military spending by 17.7 per cent to US$17.19 billion (HK$133.7 billion), the largest rise in history.         ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================

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