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China fumes over US missile test
REUTERS ^
| Beijing, December 4
Posted on 12/04/2001 10:39:38 AM PST by American_Patriot_For_Democracy
China said on Tuesday it remained staunchly opposed to plans by Washington to develop a national missile defence system after the United States tested its controversial missile defence shield.
"Our position on missile defence is very clear and consistent: we are opposed to the United States building a missile defence system," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.
"Instead we believe that relevant sides should, through sincere and serious dialogues, seek a solution that does not compromise any side's security interests, nor harm international efforts at arms-control and disarmament," she said.
The United States said it took a major step forward in testing its controversial missile defence shield on Monday by shooting down a dummy warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean.
Chinese officials have discussed US missile defence plans with their US counterparts but the two sides do not see eye to eye.
Both Russia and China oppose US plans to develop a missile shield, saying it would violate the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty and could trigger a new arms race.
The test is part of President George W. Bush's goal of building a limited shield to protect against ballistic missiles from "rogue" nations such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq.
US officials say the current missile defence tests do not violate the ABM treaty between the United States and the former Soviet Union. That treaty forbids the United States or Russia from developing a national missile defence.
But Bush and US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have vowed to move beyond that pact if Moscow and Washington cannot reach agreement on updating it.
Despite agreeing to new and deep cuts in offensive nuclear missiles by both countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bush failed to agree on the anti-missile programme at a summit in Texas last month, but said discussions would continue.
TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
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To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
FU China. There's a new POTUS in town.
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Are they afraid there may be technology that they can't steal, copy or bribe out of this administration?
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
The Chinese are so reasonable (sarcasm)
4
posted on
12/04/2001 10:43:45 AM PST
by
lavaroise
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
We have no quarrel with the Chinese people. It's their government that's a menace. (Where have you heard that one before).
5
posted on
12/04/2001 10:44:47 AM PST
by
kinghorse
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
I love to watch the Commies shiver!
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
"Instead we believe that relevant sides should, through sincere and serious dialogues, seek a solution that does not compromise any side's security interests, nor harm international efforts at arms-control and disarmament," she said.
So you mean that, for instance, foreign survelliance aircraft that are harmed through the negligence of your own country should be immediately returned to their country of origin without any search, seizure, or dismantling in order not to compromise the other side's security interests?
7
posted on
12/04/2001 10:45:37 AM PST
by
DocCincy
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
"Our position on missile defence is very clear and consistent: we are opposed to the United States building a missile defence system," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.Of course you are. Seeing how you have Taiwan in your cross hairs. You would love that cold war treaty enforced to prevent the US from defending itself.
8
posted on
12/04/2001 10:45:38 AM PST
by
week 71
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Objections noted...
9
posted on
12/04/2001 10:45:54 AM PST
by
mvscal
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
They are against it as they continue to point missles at us??? Of course they are against it.
10
posted on
12/04/2001 10:48:18 AM PST
by
Mixer
To: week 71
You would love that cold war treaty enforced to prevent the US from defending itself. More precisely: to prevent Taiwan from defending itself, and at the same time rendering ourselves immune to an "intervene and we nuke you" threat.
11
posted on
12/04/2001 10:48:57 AM PST
by
r9etb
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Zhang Qiyue screeching today sounds just like Leonid Brezhnev or Mikhail Gorbachev screeching yesterday. BMD was a good idea in the '60s, a good idea in the '80s, and still a good idea. Hey Qiyue! What, exactly, are you planning to do that a successful BMD system might disrupt? Inquiring minds...
AB
To: arkfreepdom
no kidding that's like saying in a gun fight you are opposed to the other guy putting on a bullet proof vest and bringing a machine gun. this is not PC time anymore, if they don't like it too bad.
Comment #14 Removed by Moderator
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
"The test is part of President George W. Bush's goal of building a limited shield to protect against ballistic missiles from "rogue" nations such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq. " Reuters doesn't even pretend to be unbiased anymore. They hopefully talk as if the BMD shield will have a built-in mechanism to stop Iraqui, Iranian, or Korean missiles through, while allowing Chinese missiles to pass through, just to appease hardline lefties. I notice, though, that they've given up on pretending that Russia is still the old Soviet Union, and we still have an ABM treaty with them.
To: lavaroise
The Chinese were reasonable under Deng Xiaoping( who realized after observing it in practice that communism as an economic system didn't work and shot most of the hardliners after overthrowing the gang of four) but he didn't bother to name a successor unfortunately and this a****** Jiang one of the few hardliners which Deng spared execution somehow ended up in the saddle. Luckily when he kicks the bucket their will be a power struggle we can exploit.
16
posted on
12/04/2001 10:56:21 AM PST
by
weikel
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Not surprising. Clinton sold them ICBM capability for a few million Chinese dollars given to his re-election campaign in 1996. And now they may not be able to threaten us with them if we try to defend Taiwan.
17
posted on
12/04/2001 10:58:24 AM PST
by
Cicero
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Wah...Wah
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Both Russia and China oppose US plans to develop a missile shield, saying it would violate the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty and could trigger a new arms race. After September 11, no nation or combination of nations is going to tell us we can't defend ourselves, "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY."
To: American_Patriot_For_Democracy
Dear China,
I suggest you mount some sort of meaningful protest. Why not stop shipping the billions of dollars worth cheap trashy goods manufactured by children and slave labor to our shores. You don't need the money.
Regards, we will bury you,
An American Patriot
20
posted on
12/04/2001 11:09:22 AM PST
by
mercy
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