DATE=2-27-01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-273067

TITLE=CHINA / IRAQ / US - L

BYLINE=JIM RANDLE

DATELINE=BEIJING

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: China's government says it is ready to investigate US charges that Chinese workers helped Iraq rebuild its air defenses.

V-O-A's Jim Randle reports from Beijing, this is a major departure from China's initial angry response to the US allegations.

TEXT: China's Foreign Ministry maintains that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Beijing strictly complies with UN resolutions that ban military help to Iraq.

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But Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue says even though China has done nothing wrong, officials will look into US assertions that Chinese technicians helped Iraq upgrade its air defense. She did not elaborate further.

Last Friday, President Bush said China was softening its original angry response to the US allegations. Mr. Bush said Beijing promised to 'remedy' the situation if Chinese workers were found to be violating the sanctions against Iraq.

China previously called Washington's allegations 'futile' attempts to draw attention away from a deadly air raid on Iraq. Earlier this month, US and British warplanes struck Iraqi air defenses where the Chinese experts were allegedly working, killing two Iraqis.

The US side says the raids were timed to minimize the chance that Chinese or Iraqi workers would be hit.

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US military officials have said Chinese experts were helping Iraq by installing fiber optic cables to connect Iraqi radar sites, which

would make Iraqi air defenses much more effective. That's a major concern for Washington because US and British planes patrol much of Iraq's airspace to keep Iraqi forces from attacking minority groups inside Iraqi territory. These 'no fly zones' were set up after the Gulf War in the early 1990's. (Signed)

NEB/HK/JR/JO