U.S. Lawmakers Warn Chinese Leader on Arms

Four senior American senators warned Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Wednesday that Beijing’s continued sale of sensitive missile technology to other countries would trigger an arms race detrimental to both the U.S. and China.

The lawmakers also told Jiang that such sales would boost support in the United States for developing a missile defense system--a step vehemently opposed by China.

“He made the point he didn’t want to see an arms race,” Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters after the meeting with Jiang. “He said it was not in China’s interest for that to happen.”

The exchanges came during a wide-ranging, two-hour meeting with Jiang at the Chinese leadership’s traditional seaside summer retreat of Beidaihe, about 170 miles east of Beijing.

The senators--who included Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee--met with the Chinese defense minister, Gen. Chi Haotian, for about two hours before the session with Jiang.

The lawmakers also discussed Taiwan, human rights and the rule of law with the Chinese leaders, in talks the Americans variously described as frank, lively and honest.

“The tone was good,” Specter said. “We didn’t argue the points; we raised them.”

The senators said Jiang did not deny that China was selling missile technology to other nations but, choosing his words very carefully, stated that Beijing had complied with international rules on the issue.

“There was a lot of dancing on those points,” Specter said. “We agreed to disagree on it.”

Following years of U.S. pressure, China agreed in November to stop exporting technology covered under the international Missile Technology Control Regime. U.S. intelligence reports, however, say such sales have continued. The Bush administration recently lodged a formal protest with Beijing, stating that the U.S. has satellite pictures showing a recent transfer of Chinese missiles to Pakistan.

Specter said that when the senators challenged Jiang on that case, the Chinese leader “stuck to his contention” that his nation was in compliance with international laws.

China also is believed by U.S. officials to have sold missiles or missile technology to other countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The proliferation of missile technology forms a central argument of those in the U.S. seeking development of a missile defense system. Biden, along with many other Democrats, strongly opposes the proposal.

“If they continue to proliferate, the will of the United States will be toward building a national missile defense, which we believe would begin the possibility of China responding, then India responding to China and Pakistan responding to India with a spiraling effect in terms of our mutual security,” Biden said. “The emphasis was on the mutuality of our interests.”

Wednesday’s meeting came on the fifth day of an eight-day trip for the senators that began in Taiwan and will also take them to South Korea.

Among other issues discussed:

* The senators disputed Jiang’s contention that the U.S. is encouraging Taiwan to seek independence. Biden also said that talks with the defense minister focused heavily on the Taiwan issue and that Chi spoke emotionally on the subject.

“I walked away more aware how much of an issue it is with them and how it could affect our relations,” Biden said.

China considers Taiwan a renegade province.

* Regarding the recent cases of Chinese-born academics who have strong links to the U.S. being convicted on vaguely worded espionage charges, Specter said Jiang responded “candidly, saying that [the Chinese] were working on the rule of law and that there was a considerable amount of ground that had to be made up on that.”

By contrast, Specter said Jiang quickly cut off any discussion about the treatment of members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, whose followers reportedly have been persecuted and tortured by authorities.

“He described them as a cult that had destroyed a thousand families,” Specter said. “We did not get a satisfactory response.”