Extracts. China Submits Paper on Prevention of Arms Race in Outer Space China's Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Thursday submitted a working paper on prevention of an arms race in outer space to the Plenary of the Conference on Disarmament (CD). Ambassador Hu Xiaodi requested that the paper, entitled " Possible Elements of the Future International Legal Instrument on the Prevention of the Weaponization of Outer Space," be circulated as an official CD document. Hu called upon all countries to negotiate and conclude an international legal instrument on the prevention of the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space, on the basis of strict compliance of existing multilateral and bilateral treaties and agreements applied for outer space. He explained that it is well known that outer space is now faced with the danger of being weaponized, which manifests itself in two aspects, namely the development of the missile defense program and the "space control" plan. Outer space is the common heritage of mankind and it is the common aspiration of all peoples to enjoy a peaceful and quiet outer space, rather than shadowed by weapons and battlefields in outer space, said the Chinese representative. He said that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, should play its due role in this regard. **** US Missile Defense Briefing Clear, Comprehensive: NATO Chief The NATO chief on Thursday described the briefing given by the United States defense secretary to NATO defense ministers about missile defense plans as clear, comprehensive and thought-provoking. NATO Secretary-General George Robertson told the press after the first day of a two-day NATO defense ministers council meeting that Donald H. Rumsfeld had offered colleagues from NATO allies a comprehensive briefing on potential threats and that his presentation was clear and thought-provoking. Though it was still at an early stage of consultation, the NATO chief said that the western military alliance must develop its defense capability to take the challenge posed by the threats as depicted by the Americans. Rumsfeld, aided by graphics, test films and sensitive intelligence materials, unveiled for the first time some details of a disputed missile defense plan and potential threats from what the Americans call as rogue states that were hawked by the Bush administration. The U.S. defense secretary told other NATO defense ministers that Washington had intended to go beyond ground-based missiles so as to intercept enemy missiles in every phase of flight, by expanding tests to include ship- and air-borne projectiles, aircraft lasers and other weaponry, according to sources close to the defense ministers council meeting. Deploying missile defenses capable of protecting the United States, friends and allies will eventually require moving beyond the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty, Rumsfeld told the council. "We understand this conclusion is not welcomed by some," he added, "It is simply inescapable." The defense ministers from the European allies generally agreed with Rumsfeld that there was a growing threat missile proliferation, but they suggested that deployment of a U.S.- proposed missile defense system was still years away because of technology difficulties and high cost. A senior Pentagon official, briefing the press on Rumsfeld's presentation, said that Rumsfeld had begun a new chapter in the battle over missile defense by beginning to shed light on the U.S. plans. The U.S. defense secretary, however, gave no timetable for deployment of a missile defense system and conceded that there had been major failures in U.S. anti-missile tests. During his scheduled visit to Brussels next week, U.S. President George W. Bush is also expected to continue lobbying about the American missile defense plans. **** Commentary: An Irresponsible Argument On May 31, the India <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/india.html> n Defense Ministry released an annual report, which said with ulterior motives: All major Indian cities are within China's missile range and, on this basis, it required that while India is establishing a "reliable, minimal nuclear deterrence", it should develop an accurate nuclear-weapon carrying system. That same day, Indian Defense Minister Singh declared that the Indian government had formally approved the "raging flame" program for the development of a long-range missile system. In recent years India has time and again tried it utmost to expand its military strength under the pretext of so-called China threat. In May 1998, the then Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes made a big fuss about the "theory of China threat", immediately thereafter India conducted five nuclear tests in a stretch. This move of India has not only shocked the international community in general, but has seriously backset the none too easily improved Sino-Indian relations. Currently, although Fernandes has stepped down, some people in the Indian Defense Ministry, however, are playing the old trick again. This line of action is not only unwise, but also irresponsible. Thanks to the concerted efforts made by leaders of the two countries since 1999, Sino-Indian relations have gradually moved out of the depression and have advanced steadily forward. In particular, the China visit paid by Indian President K.R. Narayanan last year and the visit to India made by Li Peng <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/people/lipeng.shtml> , chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/organs/npc.shtml> ), this year have added new driving force to the continued development of Sino-Indian ties. A situation of peace and tranquillity has all along been maintained in the border regions of the two countries and substantial progress was made early this year in boundary negotiations between the two countries. It is well-known that China's development of nuclear weapons is entirely for self-defense, on the first day of its possession of nuclear weapons, China solemnly declared to the world that under no circumstance would China be the first to use nuclear weapons. Indian President Narayanan and the current Defense Minister Singh once both stressed that India and China would not constitute threat to each other. Now, some people in the Indian Defense Ministry suddenly agitate the argument about "China threat", this is really hard to understand. China and India are neighbors, under today's world situation, steadily improving and developing bilateral relations fully conforms to the fundamental interests of the Chinese and Indian peoples. Certain people in the Indian Defense Ministry should not make irresponsible remarks and do things harmful to the relations between the two countries. Currently, the relationship between China and India is good, government departments and peoples of the two countries should cherish and treasure this hard-won situation. **** Yugoslavia's Socialist Party of Serbia Demands Release of Milosevic Yugoslavia's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Wednesday asked the government to release former Yugoslav president and current party leader Slobodan Milosevic. In a statement issued by the executive board of the party's highest committee, the SPS said the police have no solid evidence to justify the arrest of Milosevic. The statement said cooperation between the Yugoslav government and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia "goes against the interests of the country and the nation" and " must be canceled to uphold national dignity." The SPS is worried that Milosevic's health could deteriorate in prison. Milosevic was arrested on April 1 by the police on charges of abuse of office and other crimes. The Belgrade District Court ruled on April 30 that Milosevic's one-month detention will be extended for another two months. **** CPC Cadres' Delegation Leaves for Laos A cadres' delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) left Kunming Thursday for a goodwill visit to Laos <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/laos.html> . The delegation, headed by Sun Gan, deputy secretary of the CPC Yunnan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/yunnan.html> Provincial Committee, is visiting Laos as guest of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. **** Spokesman on US Decision to Resume Talks with DPRK China hopes that the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) continue the dialogue process and play a positive role for the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Thursday. Spokesman Sun Yuxi made the remark at a press conference when asked to comment on the US announcement of its decision to resume talks with the DPRK. Sun said that the improvement of DPRK-US relations has been an important factor contributing to the easing of the situation on the Korean Peninsula since last year. He expressed hope that the DPRK and the United States make positive efforts for continuing the dialogue so as to contribute to the peace and stability of the peninsula. This will be in the interests of the north and south of the Korean Peninsula, as well as other parties concerned, including the United States, Sun said. **** Chinese FM Phones Arafat & Israeli FM Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan made a phone call Thursday with Yasser Arafat, president of Palestine, and before that he talked with Israeli Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on the phone at the request of Israel. In both calls, Tang elaborated the position and viewpoints of the Chinese government on the current situation in the Middle East, urging both sides cooperate with the mediation efforts of the international community and take actions helpful to ease up the tension in the region. **** Israel, Palestinians to Hold Security Meeting in Cairo: Radio Israeli and Palestinian senior officials will hold a security meeting on stopping the ongoing violence between them in Cairo on Friday, Israel Radio reported on Thursday. Palestinian Preventive Security Service chiefs Mohammad Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub will represent the Palestinian side in the meeting, which will be mediated by visiting U.S. Central Intelligence Agency head George Tenet, the report said. Meanwhile, the Israeli side will be represented by Avi Dichter, head of Israel's General Security Service (Shin Bet). The meeting is scheduled to keep the fragile ceasefire between the two sides in the past few days after eight months of violence and discuss the next steps both sides should take, the Radio said. Tenet was sent by U.S. President George W. Bush to the region for mediating an effective timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Mitchell report, which was published last month by an international fact-finding committee on the Mideast violence and accepted by both Palestinians and Israel. The report urged both sides to stop violence, carry out confidence-building measures after a cooling-off period and resume their peace talks. Tenet was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday. He already met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, during which a plan to hold the Israeli-Palestinian security meeting was reportedly discussed. In a related development, the Radio quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying that Sharon and Arafat had reached an agreement on Thursday that the Palestinians will make maximum efforts to prevent violence in the following three regions: the Gilo community south of Jerusalem, the Netzarim settlement in Gaza, the Rafah border area between Gaza and Egypt. All the three sites had been major conflict points in the past eight months. So far, over 570 people had been killed in the violence, most of them Palestinians. Since Arafat announced a ceasefire last Saturday, a delicate ceasefire held on the ground despite sporadic incidents. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
