Author: Barry Schweid,
AP Diplomatic Writer
Publication: Associate
Press
Date: November 21, 2000
U.S. Hails China
on Missile Pledge
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Clinton administration Tuesday welcomed a pledge by China not to help other
countries develop ballistic missiles and responded by waiving economic
sanctions on Chinese companies that assisted Pakistan and Iran in the past.
``This development can
strengthen cooperation between the United States and China to achieve our
common objective of preventing the spread of ballistic missiles that threaten
regional and international security,'' said State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher.
As a result, the United
States will resume processing licenses for commercial space cooperation
between American and Chinese companies, including the launching of U.S.
satellites in China, Boucher said.
The two countries also
will resume discussions on extending a 1995 agreement on international
trade, he said.
However, Boucher said,
new sanctions will be imposed on Iranian and Pakistani military and civilian
groups for receiving ballistic missile technology from China.
In Iran, the sanctioned
entities are the Defense Industry Organization, the Ministry of Defense
and Armed Forces Logistics and their subunits.
The sanctioned entities
in Pakistan are the Ministry of Defense and the Space and Upper-atmosphere
Research Commission and their subunits and successors.
Boucher said this means
that for two years all new U.S. government contracts will be denied
to the Pakistani Ministry of Defense, Space and Upper-Atmosphere Research
Commission and there will be no imports of their products into the United
States.
The new sanctions will
have very limited economic effect because of a U.S. embargo against
Iran and earlier U.S. sanctions against Iran and Pakistan, Boucher
said. ``But they do send a strong signal that the United States opposes
these countries' missiles programs.''
China's pledge, and a
similar one earlier by North Korea (news - web sites), could have a major
impact in slowing down Iran's ballistic missile program.
But, a senior U.S.
official said, Russia and other countries continue to contribute to Iranian
weapons programs. Russia has made several promises to curb proliferation,
but enforcement is a problem, and Russia's record is spotty, said the official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Rep. Benjamin A.
GiIman, R-N.Y., chairman of the House International Relations Committee,
also welcomed China's statement but also said, ``The proof will be in the
implementation.''
``China has made similar
promises regarding proliferation in the past and broken them,'' he said
in a statement. ``This agreement will necessitate strong vigilance
and continued monitoring.''
