World IN BRIEF : CHINA : Nuclear Pact Gets OK of Lawmakers

Chinese legislators voted to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which limits transfers of nuclear materials, the New China News Agency reported. Until Sunday, China was the only one of the five declared nuclear powers that had not accepted the treaty’s terms. Premier Li Peng had said in August that China agreed in principle to sign the treaty. The 1968 pact has been signed by 140 countries. Beijing’s move is viewed as a major step toward satisfying Western demands that China cooperate with international weapons-control efforts. Western countries have been particularly concerned about China’s nuclear assistance to Third World countries.