Third, on non-proliferation, we discussed several important areas and I want to take time to go through them one by one with you.

On nuclear non-proliferation we agreed that both sides will work for an early implementation of the 1985 U.S.-China Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation. This will require establishing the basis for putting the agreement into practice. I am encouraged that China has agreed to formulate and adopt comprehensive nationwide regulations on nuclear export control. Both sides reiterated that we will fulfill our previous obligations, including the May 11, 1996 Chinese commitment not to provide assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, a very important commitment on their part. The Chinese also indicated that they are studying the question of joining the Zangger NPT Suppliers Committee, and that they will take into account U.S. concerns regarding sensitive nuclear related transfers. I made clear our strong concerns about nuclear cooperation with Iran. As we move forward on nuclear nonproliferation, the United States is prepared to consider, as consistent with U.S. law, further steps in the area of peaceful nuclear cooperation, even in advance of our full implementation of the 1985 Agreement.

On missile non-proliferation, a very important but distinct area, the United States and China reiterated their commitment to the October 1994 Joint Statement on Missile Proliferation that I signed with Vice Premier Qian Qichen. In our meeting today the Chinese government reaffirmed its commitment to the guidelines and parameters of the MTCR, the Missile Technology Control Regime.

On chemical weapons, the United States and China agreed to seek ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention by the end of April 1997 so that both of our nations can be original parties to the Convention. In addition, on the issue of advanced conventional arms, the United States stressed the risk that is posed for the stability of the Persian Golf by the sales of such arms to Iran.

Our discussion generally on non-proliferation has advanced our cooperation in this area of vital interest. But we agreed we must do more to achieve our goals. I am very pleased that China has agreed to establish regular dialogues on global security, non-proliferation and arms control. I have taken some time to go through these issues on non-proliferation because, although they are technical, they are of very high importance, and those of you who have a special interest in this area will receive some briefings and further information after I have finished.

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As always we discussed the situation with respect to Taiwan. We noted a welcome reduction in the tensions in the Taiwan Strait in the last several months. We will continue to urge both Beijing and Taipei to pursue the resolution of their differences on a peaceful basis, and to resume at an early time the cross Strait dialogue.

We also had an opportunity today, because we had more time than usual, to discuss several regional and global issues of great interest and importance to both nations and to the region. These included most prominently the Korean Peninsula, where China has recently confirmed its willingness to participate in four party talks. Other topics that we discussed of that character today included South Asia, the Middle East and the forthcoming APEC meetings.

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QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you obviously talked to the Chinese officials about human rights. I have two questions: One, did Mr. Shattuck participate in the discussion or did he merely sit at the table and, two, did the Chinese actually engage with you on a discussion of human rights and individual cases or did they simply say these were a question of Chinese internal law, and none of United States' business as their spokesman had said yesterday?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Human rights was discussed in each of the three meetings that I had today. I suppose that probably more time was spent on that subject than any other with the possible exception of non-proliferation. You can see from my catalogue of matters, on non-proliferation a good deal of time was spent on that. The format of the meeting was that it was conducted by Qian Qichen on the Chinese side and by me on the American side. That's the tradition. That's the way that those meetings generally work and that's the way this one worked.

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QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the Foreign Minister this morning also linked the issues of cooperation on U.S. non-proliferation with the curtailment of arms sales to Taiwan. Is that something the United States is prepared to consider now?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We are faithfully carrying out the commitments under the three communiques. We are assessing, very carefully, any arms sales to Taiwan and even though it is not called for in the communiques, there has been in the past and we continue to limit those sales to defensive weapons. So we are proceeding with that, as I say, with a faithful commitment carrying out the provisions of the three communiques.