DATE=6/29/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA MISSILE (L)
NUMBER=2-263902
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 


INTRO: A group of prominent experts on Chinese 
politics have written to President Clinton asking him 
to put off his coming decision on whether to build a 
limited U-S missile defense system.  Critics say the 
system will prompt China to sharply increase its stock 
of nuclear missiles, which might spark similar 
buildups by neighboring India and Pakistan.  As V-O-
A's Jim Randle reports, Pentagon officials say U-S 
efforts to develop a ballistic missile defense will  
not  spark a new arms race in Asia.

TEXT: Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon says the U-S system 
that its designers hope will shoot down ballistic 
missiles headed for the United States is `strictly 
defensive.'  

Mr. Bacon says the National Missile Defense is not 
aimed at China and is no threat to anything - except a 
small number of ballistic missiles streaking through 
space toward the American heartland.

Mr. Bacon's comments follow a letter to President 
Clinton from 45 U-S experts on China who say officials 
in Beijing view the effort as a sign of `hostility 
toward their country' that will prompt them to build 
more and more modern nuclear tipped missiles.

But the Pentagon spokesman says China started work on 
new missiles long before Washington started work on 
new defenses.

            /// Bacon act ///

      They were in the process of modernizing their 
      strategic force, long before the National 
      Missile Defense became a hot political issue in 
      the United States or a hot diplomatic issue on 
      the world scene today.  These are plans that 
      were not stated last week or last month, they 
      have been going on for some time.
      
            /// end act ///

Mr. Bacon says Defense Secretary William Cohen will 
travel to China next month for talks on military 
issues, including missile defenses.

He says those meetings with top officials may include 
talks with China's President Jiang Zemin.

Missile experts say if the U-S National Missile 
Defense system works as intended, it could stop a 
dozen or so unsophisticated weapons launched by 
countries like North Korea or Iraq that have missile 
programs of concern to the United States.  

Chinese officials say they have a small number of 
nuclear missiles designed to be a deterrent against 
potential adversaries.  But they complain they will be 
forced to build new weapons if U-S system makes their 
strategic deterrent irrelevant. 

Meantime, President Clinton says a July 7th test of the 
National Missile Defense will help him decide if the 
complex, controversial and expensive system will work 
- and if it is worth the financial and diplomatic 
cost.  (Signed)

NEB/JR/KBK



29-Jun-2000 16:08 PM EDT (29-Jun-2000 2008 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.