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China's nuke support to Pak worries US law-makers

Several American law-makers have voiced concern at China's support to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme and its repercussions on India's security as the Bill Clinton administration sought Congressional approval of an agreement on peaceful nuclear co-operation between the United States and the communist nation.

The issue came up at a hearing of the House International Relations Committee yesterday during which even its Republican chairman Benjamin A Gilman remarked: ''I do not believe the evidence supports engaging China in nuclear co-operation at this stage."

Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown made out a strong case for putting the accord on hold. "I contend that US-India relations are important enough and China's past record questionable enough to call for further monitoring to China's observance of its new commitment before this agreement is implemented," he remarked.

He said ''such a delay is the right thing to do if we are to bolster security and development in South Asia and other parts of the world and I urge all my colleagues to seriously consider this option,'' he added.

However, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Non-Proliferation Robert J Einhorn, who testified on behalf of the administration, disagreed with the members, insisting that China was fulfilling US demands to curb its assistance to nuclear programme in Pakistan and Iran and that there was a ''marked, positive shift'' in Beijing's non-proliferation policies and practices.

He listed termination of Beijing's assistance to Pakistan's ''unsafeguarded'' nuclear facilities as one of the US goals in its non-proliferation dialogue with China. ''We have achieved important results in all these areas,'' he added.

United States President Bill Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin during the latter's October visit to the US had agreed not to help countries trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The new accord is, in fact, revival of the 1985 bilateral agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation between the two countries, which had been lying dormant for all these years. The decision to revive it was taken during Jiang's visit during which the latter expressed keen desire to benefit from American high technology.

In keeping with statutory requirements for its implementation, Clinton, on January 12, certified that China was no longer assisting any non-nuclear state in acquiring nuclear weapons and referred the matter to Congress.

Now, Congress has 30 ''continuous legislative days'' time to endorse the agreement for implementation, which will allow American companies to sell to China billions of dollars worth of reactors and other nuclear-related equipment.

Einhorn said ''a variety of foreign nuclear reactor vendors are eager to sell their products but the Chinese clearly hold in high regard US nuclear equipment and technology.''

Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone, who is opposed to the move, has sought support of fellow law-makers for a legislation, seeking to reject the presidential certification, ''We have less than 30 days to act,'' he added.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, he said, "We must a send a message to the Chinese that that we will not turn our heads away and accept its nuclear weapons relationship with Pakistan.''

Congress is wary of the agreement, and last year insisted on an in-depth review that would make it easier for law-makers to block the pact. Some committee members yesterday expressed doubt that China has a fully functioning and effective export control system.

Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton spoke of risks in proceeding with peaceful nuclear cooperation with China, but at the same time, he said, ''We should acknowledge there are also risks in not proceeding.''

Einhorn, in his written statement, said China appeared to be taking ''very seriously'' its pledge of May 1996 not to provide assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, in Pakistan or anywhere else.

He said, ''We are not aware of any transfer of equipment or material by Chinese entities to Pakistan's unsafeguarded nuclear programme since the pledge was made.''

''From recent Chinese official directives and statements, we are confident that the Chinese share our understanding that assistance covers transfers of technology and information (not just hardware) and that the pledge precludes assistance both to unsafeguarded fuel cycle, facilities and nuclear explosive programmes in non-nuclear weapons state,'' Einhorn added.

He said the US had discussed with Chinese officials specific cases of potential concern involving contacts between Chinese entities and Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme and would continue to do so if the need arose. ''But our current information is that China appears to be acting consistently with its May 1996 commitment,'' he added.

Both Congressman Pallone and Brown, who are leading the opposition to the agreement, are co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.

Brown reminded fellow law-makers of the wider ramifications of the agreement than its effects on the US-China relationship. ''Over the year, China has engaged in irresponsible and destabilising arms and technology sales which have increased tensions in various regions throughout Asia and West Asia,'' he added.

''One of the most infamous examples of this worrisome behaviour is China's previous sales of ring magnets and other nuclear technologies to Pakistan, a country which refuses to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect all its nuclear facilities,'' he added.

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