BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday described as “groundless” and “sheer fabrication” an American press report that Iran had sent agents to Beijing for discussing the purchase of Chinese nuclear weapons technology.
The spokesman was making a statement “in response” to an article by well-known columnists Evans and Novak in the Washington Post.
China “has all along stuck to the consistent position that it does not advocate, encourage or practice nuclear proliferation, nor does it help other countries to develop nuclear weapons,” the spokesman, Wu Jianmin said.
In a related statement, he also said that China hoped that the United Nations Security Council permanent five conferences on arms control in West Asia to be held soon in Paris would contribute to the realization of peace and security in that region.
“This conference is a very important one,” the spokesman said, adding “in order to make it a success, we would like to explore with all the parties on the basic principles of arms control in the middle east so as to promote stability in the region with a lower level of armament.” The statement followed a week after he denied that China was selling M9 missiles to Syria but confirmed that it was selling “short range” missiles to Pakistan, leaving it unclear as to whether they could carry nuclear and chemical warheads.
Chinese official media have given prominent coverage of re Ports quoting western findings that the United States was proceeding with massive arms transfers to West Asian client states while asking other countries to curb their sales.
The spokesman said, “The pro longed absence of a settlement of the middle east issue is the root cause of tension and the basic reason of arms race in the region”.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 5, 1991
