World Tibet Network News Friday, April 24, 1998

By Ramesh Chandran The Times of India News Service

WASHINGTON: Part of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's agenda for talks with her Chinese counterparts when she arrives in Beijing on Sunday would be to focus on export of sensitive missile, nuclear and chemical technologies and expertise to countries like Pakistan and Iran. This is according to unnamed US officials cited in media reports here.

Tibet would also be part of this agenda with Washington's expectations that Beijing would resume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama soon. Preceding Ms Albright to Beijing is US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky who apparently has her own agenda: press China to further open its markets, and reduce tariffs that would strengthen China's case to join the World Trade Organisation.

However, each time senior US administration officials are on the threshold of holding talks with their Chinese interlocutors, there are reports in the American press citing anonymous US officials who claim there would be pressure on China to curb export of sensitive technologies to countries that have ongoing programmes (viz.Pakistan and Iran) as well as holding talks with Tibetan representatives. Nothing much happens on these fronts except perhaps for accelerated trade between the two countries and everyone goes back to their normal routine until the next round of bilateral talks are scheduled.

Apart from the visit of the two senior lady officials, the impending visit of President Bill Clinton to Beijing in late June has triggered off the current round of press speculation. Both Washington as well as Beijing are hoping to milk everything they can from the opportunities thrown up during the forthcoming Clinton-Jiang summit. The release of leading Chinese dissident Wang Dan is also being interpreted as an opportunity to further lift some of the existing American sanctions imposed soon the Tiananmen Square massacre.

As part of the deal reached over Mr Wang's release, Washington reportedly agreed not to support a resolution condemning China at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The US administration is also hoping that China will release more leading dissidents prior to Mr Clinton's visit furthering consolidating's its case for WTO membership. The US is also hoping that Beijing will sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights before the summit -- but at this juncture this seems unlikely.

The recent bilateral talks as well as the visits this week of Ms Albright and Ms Barshefsky has once again triggered off reports in the media about the various issues that might figure in these talks. The New York Times on Wednesday quoting anonymous administration sources, reported that the Secretary of State would raise the controversial question of Chinese assistance of missile and nuclear technology to Pakistan and Iran. The paper said that ``officials are worried that some Chinese companies are helping the Iranian chemical weapons programme'' although they are ``satisfied'' with China's promises not to aid the nuclear programmes of Pakistan and Iran (one reason perhaps being that Teheran may have turned to Moscow for help).

One un-named official cited in the news report maintains that the``Chinese can be very irritating on these matters.'' But there is no question that Beijing now treats proliferation concerns very differently and there are no cases now of Beijing transferring the design for small nuclear weapons to Pakistan as well as nuclear fuel. Says the official: ``What we worry about are dual-use items which require sometimes very technical discussions''.

So far Beijing has held out US attempts to entice them to join the Missile Technology Control Regime in exchange for more collaboration in space ventures. Although Beijing has promised to abide by MTCR rules without formally joining it, the US officials are reportedly concerned about the ``annexes'' to the agreement that forbids dual-use equipment and technologies that may be used by a ``country that might be trying to develop missiles.''

The other issues that might figure in Sino-US talks are:

* Closer monitoring of illegal transfer of advanced technology to China by American companies.

* Inspection of American supercomputers sold to China to prevent their misuse for non-civilian purposes.

* Resumption of a dialogue with the Dalai Lama and release of more dissidents including Tibetans and religious figures.

Whatever may happen in these and forthcoming Sino-US talks, analysts here maintain that the US administration is not offering to lift sanctions that ban the sales of arms and crime-control equipment.