News

ACCESSION NUMBER:303942

FILE ID:POL502

DATE:09/17/93

TITLE:STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 (09/17/93)

TEXT:*93091702.POL

STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17



1China, North Korea, Haiti)  (600)

NEWS BRIEFING -- Spokesman Michael McCurry discussed the following topics:

U.S. ASKS CHINA NOT TO CONDUCT UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TESTS

McCurry said the United States has been trying to dissuade the Chinese from

conducting underground nuclear tests, noting that "we would view a nuclear

weapons test by China or any other nation with serious concern."



He said that senior U.S. officials have been in contact with Chinese

officials since late July about U.S. concerns and that many countries also

have discussed this issue directly with the Chinese in recent weeks.



The Washington Post September 17 said the U.S. intelligence community has

concluded that China is about to conduct its first underground nuclear test

in nearly a year.



McCurry stressed that the environment for negotiating a comprehensive test

ban would be much stronger if other nations observed a moratorium on

testing such as the one that President Clinton announced.



"Negotiating a comprehensive test ban treaty by 1996 remains an important

administration objective, and it is also a directive from the U.S.

Congress," he pointed out.



"It becomes much harder once one country tests for other countries to then

continue to refrain from their testing," the spokesman continued.



McCurry would not speculate on the U.S. response if the Chinese did conduct

an underground test.



But he pointed to U.S. concerns about China in several areas and expressed

the U.S. hope "that we can achieve successful resolutions of our concerns

on issues whether they be human rights, proliferation," or other issues.



He reminded questioners that the United States has not taken a position on

the Chinese bid to host the summer Olympics in the year 2000.  He did not

know if nuclear testing would be a factor in the International Olympic

Committee's consideration of China.



NO RESUMPTION YET OF U.S.-NORTH KOREAN TALKS

Questioned as to when the United States might resume direct talks with North

Korea on nuclear non-proliferation matters, McCurry noted that "the United

States had discussed with North Korea the specific conditions that would be

necessary for resuming a third round of high-level talks."  He added that

"those conditions have not been met; therefore, there has been no

scheduling of a third round of talks."



Later a State Department official told reporters that Robert Gallucci,

assistant secretary of state for politico-military affairs, had informed

North Korean officials by letter of the U.S. position concerning a third

round of talks.  The North Korean response, received this week, was

"negative," he said, but left open the possibility of some discussion of

issues.



U.S. CONCERNED AT HAITIAN VIOLENCE

McCurry told journalists that "the situation in Haiti is of very great

concern to the United States" and the administration is "troubled by the

reports of continuing violence."



He urged all factions to implement the recent Governor's Island accord for

Haiti "rapidly" and added, "It's clear that an international presence and

training for the establishment of a police (force) would make a

difference."



"So, too," he added, "would the (Haitian) military taking responsibility for

the conditions that exist now in Haiti."  He left open the possibility that

the United States would support the re-imposition of the United Nations

1mbargo against Haiti if violence there does not stop.



The spokesman later issued a statement saying a delegation of high-level

administration officials -- led by Alexander Watson, assistant secretary of

state for inter-American affairs, and Lawrence Pezzulo, the secretary's

special adviser on Haiti -- would travel to Port-au-Prince September 20 to

express support for Haiti's newly installed constitutional government.



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