DATE=3/17/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-246791 TITLE=CHINA NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY BYLINE=GIL BUTLER DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AS THE VISIT TO WASHINGTON BY CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI APPROACHES, A WIDESPREAD DEBATE HAS BEEN SPARKED OVER REPORTS THAT AN EMPLOYE AT A GOVERNMENT NUCLEAR LABORATORY HAD GIVEN SECRET TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA. VOA'S GIL BUTLER ATTENDED A BRIEFING ON THE SPY ALLEGATIONS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE SPONSORED BY THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMAN FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE, A WASHINGTON POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTION. TEXT: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN CRITICIZED IN THE NEWS MEDIA AND BY POLITICAL OPPONENTS FOR ALLEGEDLY ACTING LESS THAN EXPEDITIOUSLY TO TIGHTEN SECURITY AT THE NUCLEAR LABORATORY AFTER WARNINGS THAT A SCIENTIST HAD PASSED ON SECRETS TO THE CHINESE. CHINESE PREMIER ZHU HAS STRONGLY DENIED THAT HIS COUNTRY STOLE AMERICAN NUCLEAR SECRETS, BUT U-S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SANDY BERGER SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION BUT THAT CHINA HAS BENEFITED. PRESIDENTIAL NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORS HAVE DEFENDED THE ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS TO TIGHTEN SECURITY. THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT'S JOSEPH CIRINCIONE ARGUES THAT EVEN IF ALL THE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE NUCLEAR THEFT ARE TRUE, IT WILL BE MANY YEARS BEFORE CHINA COULD DEVELOP A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LONG RANGE NUCLEAR MISSILES AND EVEN THEN, THE UNITED STATES WOULD STILL HAVE A LARGE STRATEGIC SUPERIORITY. /// CIRINCIONE ACT /// THE BOTTOM LINE? EVEN IN A WORSE CASE, THE SOME TOTAL OF ALL THESE ALLEGATIONS HAS LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES. /// END ACT /// SOME PARTICIPANTS IN THE BRIEFING TOOK ISSUE WITH THAT, SAYING INCREASED CHINESE NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES WOULD SURELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON NON PROLIFERATION PROSPECTS AND WOULD BE A THREAT TO THE EAST ASIAN REGION. MUCH OF THE DEBATE IN WASHINGTON HAS BEEN OVER WHETHER THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ACTED QUICKLY ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH SECURITY LAPSES AT NUCLEAR WEAPONS LABORATORIES. THE ALLEGED TECHNOLOGY THEFTS THEMSELVES GO BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF PREVIOUS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS. GARY SAMORE, A PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ON NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION ISSUES SAID THEN-ENERGY SECRETARY FREDERICO PENA STARTED THE SECURITY CHANGES AFTER RECEIVING AN F-B-I REPORT AND THE CURRENT SECRETARY, BILL RICHARDSON HAS CONTINUED THE PROCESS. /// OPT/// SAMORE ACT /// SINCE SECRETARY RICHARDSON TOOK OVER AT ENERGY IN SEPTEMBER OF 1998, HE HAS VIGOROUSLY CONTINUED THIS PROCESS. HE HAS HIRED COUNTER INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS TO BE STATIONED AT U-S LABS. THEY HAVE TIGHTENED THE SCREENING AND APPROVAL PROCEDURES FOR FOREIGN SCIENTISTS SEEKING ACCESS TO THE LABS AND HAVE INSTITUTED MORE EXTENSIVE SECURITY REVIEWS, INCLUDING THE USE OF POLYGRAPHS (LIE DETECTORS) FOR D-O-E SCIENTISTS WORKING IN SENSITIVE PROGRAMS. /// END ACT /// END OPT /// MR. SAMORE ALSO ARGUES THAT TECHNOLOGY EXPORTS TO CHINA ARE STRICTLY CONTROLLED TO PREVENT THEIR BEING CONVERTED TO MILITARY USE. /// OPT ///AND, HE SAID CHINA HAS COOPERATED BY ENDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS ASSITANCE TO PAKISTAN, STOPPING NUCLEAR AND CRUISE MISSILE SALES TO IRAN AND HELPING THE UNITED STATES GAIN ACCESS TO A SUSPICIOUS N/O/R/T/H K/O/R/E/A/N U/N/D/E/R/G/R/O/U/N/D F/A/C/I/L/I/T/I/E/S. /// SAMORE ACT /// OUR ENGAGEMENT POLICY WITH CHINA WORKS BOTH WAYS. THROUGH VIGOROUS INVESTIGATIONS, STRONG SECURITY AND STRICT EXPORT CONTROLS WE CAN PROTECT SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION. THROUGH COOPERATION WITH BEIJING WE CAN ADVANCE OUR CRITICAL NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES. /// END ACT ///END OPT /// THE NUCLEAR SPYING DEBATE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF DISAPPEARING ANY TIME SOON IN WASHINGTON AND WILL CERTAINLY REMAIN AN ISSUE WHEN PREMIER ZHU RONGJI VISITS HERE EARLY NEXT MONTH. (SIGNED) NEB/MGB/PT 17-Mar-99 5:48 PM EST (2248 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .