DATE=9/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA - US MISSILE DEFENSE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-266149
BYLINE=LETA HONG FINCHER
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  China is urging the United States to 
completely scrap a proposed anti-missile defense 
system.  Despite President Clinton's announcement last 
week that he is delaying a decision on deployment, 
Chinese officials seem likely to continue their effort 
to shore up international opposition to the proposed 
missile shield.  Beijing Correspondent Leta Hong 
Fincher reports.

TEXT:  Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi 
urged the United States to scrap the anti-missile 
defense system as soon as possible, saying that the 
proposed system would harm world security.  

      /// SUN ACT IN CHINESE, THEN FADE ///

Mr. Sun told reporters at a regular briefing that the 
National Missile Defense system - aimed at protecting 
U-S shores from attack - and the related Theater 
Missile Defense system, which would be deployed to 
Asia, could set off a global arms race if deployed.

Beijing initially welcomed President Clinton's 
announcement that he would defer a decision on 
deploying a defense shield, saying that the move was 
rational.  However, Chinese officials remain deeply 
concerned that the next US President could still 
deploy the system, or a related system for Asia, 
called Theater Missile Defense, or TMD.

A researcher at the Monterey Institute of 
International Studies in California, Evan Medeiros, 
says that even though the US TMD system would 
theoretically target North Korean missiles, China 
fears that it could be used to incite Taiwan to 
independence.

            /// MEDEIROS ACT ///

      It [China] opposes American sales of more 
      advanced theater missile defense systems because 
      such sales indicate to the Chinese that America 
      is trying to improve its defense arrangement 
      with Taiwan . and this would ultimately 
      complicate any Chinese efforts to reunify with 
      Taiwan.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Medeiros says China is likely to continue to shore 
up international opposition to any U-S missile defense 
system.

            /// MEDEIROS ACT TWO ///

      The Chinese have now become very proactive in 
      their effort to oppose National Missile Defense 
      and have been engaging countries all over the
      world in an effort to whip up international 
      public opinion against US missile defense 
      policies.

            ///END ACT///

The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Sun, says Chinese 
President Jiang Zemin may also use the U-N Millennium 
Summit in New York to oppose the missile shield.   
(SIGNED)
 
NEB/HK/LHF/JO 





05-Sep-2000 08:17 AM EDT (05-Sep-2000 1217 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.