Cohen Departs China With a ‘Framework,’ Little Else

Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen wrapped up two days of talks here Thursday with positive words but little progress on major differences between the U.S. and China concerning a range of military issues.

In meetings with Communist leaders, Cohen fielded vociferous objections over U.S. plans to continue arming Taiwan, China’s archrival, and to develop a missile defense shield. Beijing also expressed anger with Israel’s decision to cancel the sale of a radar system to China.

The Chinese officials brushed aside U.S. concerns about their nation’s buildup of missiles and alleged aid to missile programs in Pakistan and Iran.

The diplomatic back-and-forth resulted in no real breakthroughs during Cohen’s first visit to China since 1998. The meetings were the highest-level Sino-U.S. military dialogue since North Atlantic Treaty Organization warplanes erroneously bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, last year.

In remarks to reporters, Cohen accentuated the positive, saying that a resumption of dialogue between the U.S. and China represented the “key to stability” in Asia. “We have a framework that allows our countries to work together” despite disagreements, he said.

But further bedeviling his trip was Wednesday’s announcement that Israel had bowed to U.S. pressure and backed out of a $250-million deal to provide China with an airborne early-warning radar system, which Beijing had counted on to help modernize its lagging air force. The issue surfaced in Cohen’s 90-minute session Thursday with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

“It was certainly a concern to China that the sale was canceled,” Cohen said, though he declined to elaborate.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao lashed out at Israel’s move--and the U.S. pressure that inspired it.

“No other country has the right to interfere in the bilateral cooperation that China has with other countries,” Zhu told reporters.

Israel’s sudden decision is likely to add to growing opinion here that the United States is bent on containing China. Many Chinese political and military analysts already view U.S. plans to develop a missile defense shield as specifically directed at their nation.

Cohen rejected that argument Thursday, saying that cancellation of the Israeli deal “does not signal any attempt to contain China. I don’t believe China can be contained, and our policy is just the opposite, which is to engage China.”

The defensive shield would protect the U.S. from missiles fired by rogue states, he said. “I don’t believe that China falls in that category,” Cohen said.

He insisted that the Clinton administration has not decided whether to continue developing the shield technology after last week’s failed test of a missile interceptor.

Beijing contends that the missile defense system would spark a new global arms race and upset the balance of power in Asia. China’s top arms control negotiator warned Thursday that moving to develop such a shield would push Beijing and Russia toward closer cooperation to counter the U.S.

“China will not sit on its hands doing nothing while seeing its security seriously damaged,” negotiator Sha Zukang told reporters.

Sha did not directly deny allegations that China is providing missile technology to Iran and Pakistan that could trigger sanctions by the U.S., as has happened twice in the last decade.

“It’s our view that this matter is over. I don’t think that the U.S. should impose sanctions on one issue three times, four times, up to 10 times,” Sha said.

Cohen’s trip is his second and probably last to China as defense secretary. He said Thursday that he has invited his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Chi Haotian, to the U.S. for a reciprocal visit.

Cohen goes to Shanghai today.

*

Special correspondent Anthony Kuhn contributed to this report.