Senate Votes to Delay China Nuclear Accord : Moves to Block Sales Until Reagan Certifies Non-Proliferation Safeguards Are Adequate

The Senate, reversing itself, voted Monday to halt implementation of a nuclear cooperation agreement between China and the United States until President Reagan certifies that the pact includes adequate non-proliferation safeguards.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), passed by voice vote as an amendment to a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government beyond midnight Thursday. The Reagan Administration has opposed all such proposals to impose new conditions on the pact, concluded by the President during his trip to Peking in April, 1984.

Although the Glenn amendment could be eliminated when a House-Senate conference committee sits down to resolve differences in the spending bill, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) said he fears that it might undermine implementation of the treaty.

“It may very well kill the agreement with the Chinese,” Lugar said in remarks on the Senate floor. He later added, “This does put a different twist on things.”

U.S.-Chinese relations already have been strained by the arrest last month of retired CIA analyst Larry Wu-tai Chin on charges of spying for the Chinese Communist regime for more than 30 years.

Hasty Approval

The treaty, which would authorize the first sale of nuclear material and equipment to the Chinese, originally was approved by a voice vote in the Senate on Nov. 21. But Glenn complained that it was done so hastily and without debate that many opponents of the measure were absent.

“They ran it through in the middle of the night on us,” he said.

Sources said Glenn was upset that Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), who previously opposed the pact, dropped his opposition and agreed to the Nov. 21 vote without notifying other Democrats who oppose it.

The resolution passed by the Senate last month bars the sale of any nuclear equipment or technology to China until 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that China has provided additional information on its policies for avoiding the spread of nuclear weapons. Aides said Cranston was satisfied by this provision.

The Glenn amendment, meanwhile, would require the President to certify that the Chinese are willing to abide by internationally accepted verification procedures against proliferation of nuclear technology. He argued that several other countries, including Japan, already have such an agreement with China.

Standard Provision

“It’s basically what we have with every other nation--that’s why I can’t understand why they won’t agree to it,” Glenn said, denying Lugar’s assertion that his amendment could squelch the deal. “. . . If this whole deal with China is relying on that weak a reed, then we’d better fall back and reconsider this agreement.”

He said his amendment does not require the United States to begin new negotiations with the Chinese but instead makes Washington insist upon the improved verification procedures in Sino-American talks that already are called for as part of the implementation of the agreement.

Acting on behalf of the Administration, Republicans tried to defeat Glenn’s proposal with a motion to table it. But the motion failed by a vote of 59 to 28--the only recorded vote the Senate has yet taken on the issue. Conservative supporters of Taiwan combined with liberal Democrats to defeat the motion.

Unexpected Support

Glenn later confided that he had underestimated the support for his measure. “It was about double what I thought I would get,” he said.

Realizing that they would lose a recorded vote on the Glenn amendment, Senate Republican leaders then allowed it to pass by voice vote. Lugar said he hopes the amendment can be struck from the bill by a House-Senate conference committee.

Although the agreement provides for sales of only $6 million in nuclear and non-nuclear materials and technical information, it likely will lead to larger sales in the future. The U.S. nuclear power industry has long viewed China as a potential market.