The United States will brief China on its plans to test a new
missile defense system as the United States tries to convince other
countries that the proposed shield is not a threat, the White House
said on Sunday.
US
officials will share information on their missile defense plans
with the Chinese as part of an outreach effort in preparation for
US President George W. Bush's trip to Beijing next month, said Sean
McCormack, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
``This is part of the administration's outreach to China and other
nations such as Russia to discuss with them the reason why we are
developing a missile defense system and how it is designed to
protect us from 'rogue nations' or accidental launches,'' White
House spokesman Ari Fleischer said in a telephone interview.
``It is something we are hoping they will support because it is not
aimed at China,'' he said. ``The president thinks it is important
to consult with our allies and other nations.''
A
missile shield, now in its early stages of development, would knock
enemy missiles out of the sky before they reach the United
States.
Fleischer denied that the Bush administration was courting China's
support of the missile defense system in exchange for US acceptance
of a nuclear or military buildup by Beijing, as reported in
Sunday's New York Times.
The White House is pursuing missile defense ``separate and apart''
from the issue of expansion of China's limited arsenal of nuclear
missiles, Fleischer said.
``China's position on missile defense is clear-cut and
consistent,'' China's Foreign Ministry said in
late August after Bush said the United States would withdraw a 1972
arms control treaty signed by Washington and Moscow. ``We hope the
US government will seriously consider the position of the
international community and proceed with caution.''
Fleischer said the system is intended to protect the United States
and its allies from hostile nations with missile capabilities.
``Other nations have nothing to worry about from American
development of a missile defense system,'' he said. ``It will
protect the peace in the world ... when the real threat to peace
are these rogue nations.''
Fleischer also said there was no change in US policy on the testing
of nuclear weapons. ``We have no plans to resume testing,''
Fleischer said.
(China
Daily 09/03/2001)