DATE=7/11/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-COHEN (L)
NUMBER=2-264287
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO: US Defense Secretary William Cohen has arrived 
in Beijing on a five-day visit aimed at shoring up 
Sino-US military ties.  But, as VOA correspondent 
Roger Wilkison reports, China has already put Mr. 
Cohen on notice that it is bitterly opposed to US 
plans for anti-missile defense systems. 

TEXT:  Minutes after Secretary Cohen stepped off his 
plane, the Chinese Foreign Ministry weighed in with 
harsh criticism of Washington's proposed National 
Missile Defense System, or NMD.

US diplomats say Mr. Cohen will try to reassure 
Beijing that NMD is not aimed at neutralizing China's 
limited intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal.  
But Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi - speaking 
through an interpreter - called the US project 
disruptive and obstructive and warned it could trigger 
a new arms race.

            /// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///

No matter what the US side says, we are firmly opposed 
to the development of NMD by the United States.We will 
decide our own policies on disarmament in accordance 
with the development of the situation in this field.

            /// END ACTUALITY ///

Washington says NMD is needed to protect vulnerable 
parts of the United States from missile attacks by 
such countries as North Korea.  China maintains that 
North Korea is not a threat to the United States, 
especially after its efforts at rapproachment with 
South Korea and other countries.  China is also 
strongly opposed to a planned Theater Missile Defense 
System in East Asia it fears would shelter Taiwan and 
thwart Beijing's efforts at reunification with the 
island.

En route to China, Mr. Cohen said the failure of a 
test of the NMD system last Saturday does not 
automatically mean that the United States will abandon 
its goal of having it ready for use by the year 2005.  
But Mr. Sun urged Washington to drop NMD altogether.

            /// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY TWO///

The United States is not just faced with technical 
barriers.  It's also faced with universal opposition 
from the international community.  We urge the US side 
to give up as soon as possible this plan that does not 
serve its own interests but, on the other hand, 
undermines the interests of others.

            /// END ACTUALITY ///

Mr. Cohen is the second US cabinet-level official to 
visit China in three weeks.  Despite differences 
between the two countries on arms control issues, 
China and the United States are returning to more 
stable ties after relations went into a tailspin last 
year following NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy 
in Yugoslavia.  (signed)

NEB/HK/RW/JO 



11-Jul-2000 05:09 AM EDT (11-Jul-2000 0909 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.