The New York Times

Thursday, September 23, 1999

China Rejects U.S. Explanation

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- China today assailed a widening probe into allegations of nuclear espionage and rejected a U.S. explanation that NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia last May was a mistake.

Despite attempts by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to project a spirit of U.S.-Sino cooperation, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan chose to emphasize what he called ``obstructions'' in the relationship.

He rejected as ``irresponsible and false'' allegations the Chinese may have obtained secret information about the design of the most advanced U.S. nuclear warhead, the W-88.

Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis J. Freeh have expanded an inquiry that was centered on mishandling of classified material at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Tang also lit into the United States over its explanation that the embassy bombing during the conflict to rid Kosovo of Serb troops and special police was a mistake.

``We cannot accept the explanation,'' he said.

Tang welcomed moves by the United States to compensate the families of the three people killed and the 27 injured in the attack. But he added: ``The United States is obligated to offer a more satisfactory explanation.''

Albright, appearing with him at a joint news conference, appeared taken aback. ``It is difficult when one is giving the true explanation and the other side is rejecting it,'' she said.

``I can only repeat it was a mistake,'' Albright said.

Faulty maps and other errors were said by the United States to be the reason for the attack.

On another touchy front, Tang assailed the president of Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui, for saying relations with China should be considered on a ``state-to-state or at least special state-to-state'' basis

Lee, the first democratically elected president of Taiwan, said in comments published Saturday that relations with China should be considered on a ``state-to-state or at least special state-to-state'' basis and that ``greater China,'' including Taiwan, should be broken up into seven regions and governed as a federation.

Tang called Lee a troublemaker and said his views were an obstacle to better U.S.-Sino relations.

Albright again tried to smooth over the discord.

She reiterated U.S. policy is to recognize only one China, and she said China and Taiwan should be concentrating now on helping the people of Taiwan to recover from the enormous earthquake that struck Monday.

Albright began the joint news conference trying to emphasize areas of cooperation, in Asia and especially over East Timor. But Tang took the discourse into a negative direction.