From: Stasi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 4:22 AM Subject: SCMP: Washington, Beijing Deadlocked in Missile Dispute HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- > South China Morning Post > > Friday, November 23, 2001 > Washington, Beijing deadlocked in missile dispute > > REUTERS in Beijing > > Updated at 5.29pm: > The US-led war on terrorism has lent urgency to American efforts to curb > Chinese sales of weapons of mass destruction, but bilateral talks planned > for next week appear unlikely to break a deadlock on non-proliferation. > > > The dispute is one of the most sensitive issues simmering beneath the > surface of a newfound friendship based on China's support for the US-led war > on terrorism. > > > The United States is hoping the September 11 attacks on US soil will > encourage Beijing to abide by a deal not to transfer missile technology to > nations Washington calls ''rogue states'' or ''state sponsors of > terrorism'', according to US officials. > > > ''In our view, the ball's in their court,'' said one US official, who > declined to be identified. ''It's up to them to do what's necessary to > resume full implementation of the arrangement on their side.'' > > > ''They can see the new kind of world we're all in, the new kind of > relationship they can have with the US,'' he added. ''The ability of that > relationship to reach its full extent is going to be limited by this missile > problem if it's not resolved.'' > > > The two sides struck a deal a year ago under which the mainland pledged not > to help any country develop ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear > warheads and the United States agreed to resume processing licences for > space co-operation. > > > But Washington has accused Beijing of violating the deal and in September > imposed sanctions on a Chinese firm it said exported missile parts to > Pakistan. China denies breaking the agreement and wants the sanctions lifted > and the licences issued. > > > Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya will meet US Undersecretary of > State John Bolton in Washington on November 30 to try to resolve the > impasse, the US official said. > > > ''We have nothing new to add,'' a spokesman from the Arms Control Department > of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. > > > ''China's stand on arms control is clear and we have repeated it on many > occasions.'' > > > US officials highlighted Chinese sales of missile technology to countries > including Pakistan and Iran before September 11 as a key issue in the > bilateral relationship. > > > But Washington is expected to drive an even harder line now to stop such > technology falling into the hands of countries on a US State Department list > of ''state sponsors of terrorism''. > > > ''Our hope is that September 11 will make it more understandable to the > Chinese side why it is we think these issues are so important and why it is > they need to take the necessary steps,'' the official said. > > > Beijing argues that Chinese firms are either doing so without government > knowledge or exporting technology not covered by the agreement with the > United States. > > > US officials have been urging China to draw up a list of materials covered > by the agreement to avoid future ambiguities. > > > Some Beijing-based diplomats say China was planning to produce the list when > US President George W. Bush met President Jiang Zemin for the first time in > Shanghai in October. Beijing decided otherwise when the sanctions were > imposed, they said. > > > The US official admitted next week's talks alone were unlikely to resolve > the stalemate. > > > ''Historically, it's taken some number of months to get from a low point > like sanctions and then getting up out of the hole and making forward > progress again.'' > > _________________________________________________ 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] _________________
