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China hits out at U.S. missile plans
By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN) -- Beijing has reiterated opposition to Washington's deployment of a National Missile Defense (NMD) system, saying it will upset the "global strategic balance." China's representative at the Geneva Office of the United Nations Sha Zukang also indicated Beijing had put into place a rigorous management and control mechanism over the export of nuclear-related material. State media on Thursday quoted Sha, a top expert on disarmament, as saying in a public function in London that "China does not approve of the development and deployment of missile defense systems that will disrupt global strategic balance and stability." In remarks apparently aimed at U.S. President George W. Bush's announcement earlier this week to deploy NMD by 2004, Sha said it was not good for certain countries to have double standards on nuclear proliferation. The senior diplomat added nuclear weapons, no matter whose, should be "comprehensively banned and thoroughly destroyed." "China has all along opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, " Sha said, adding that Beijing's policy was not to help other countries develop nuclear capacities. The comments follow Russia's "regret" at the NMD decision, saying the move could lead to a new arms race. (Russian regret) The U.S. argues that a missile defence system is necessary to protect the country against possible attack, primarily from rogue states that could possess ballistic missiles. (Bush plan) Development of missile defence systems was severely limited under the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which expired in June, six months after Bush announced that Washington would withdraw from the 30-year old agreement. (Full story) Extend defenseDiplomatic analysts in Beijing said the Chinese leadership was afraid Washington would use Pyongyang's nuclear program as a pretext to extend its missile defense system to Asian allies including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Bush had cited the growing threat of North Korean missiles as a reason to expedite the deployment of the multi-billion dollar NMD system. And politicians in Japan and Taiwan have already indicated keen interest in building a joint missile-defense system with the U.S. The analysts said Sha was also countering charges carried in the American and Western media that Beijing had played a role in the nuclear weapons program of North Korea, China's traditional ally. Sources close to China's foreign-policy establishment said Chinese diplomats had in private urged Pyongyang to rein in its nuclear development program. The sources said, however, Beijing had not decided on whether to increase pressure on North Korea by threatening to cut down economic and other kinds of aid to the Kim Jong Il regime.
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