ACCESSION NUMBER:300646

FILE ID:EPF308

DATE:08/25/93

TITLE:VISITING U.S. LAWMAKERS WARN CHINA ON MISSILE SALES (08/25/93)

TEXT:*93082508.EPF

*EPF308  08/25/93 *



VISITING U.S. LAWMAKERS WARN CHINA ON MISSILE SALES

(VOA correspondent report on Codel in China)  (360)

By Chris Billing

VOA Correspondent

Beijing -- A delegation of U.S. lawmakers has warned China that its reported

missile sales to Pakistan could damage Sino-U.S. relations.



U.S. Congressman Dave McCurdy says he warned Chinese officials that

Sino-U.S. ties may be moving into a difficult situation because of China's

reported sale of missile technology to Pakistan.  He told a news conference

in Beijing his delegation carried a message from the Clinton administration

that a decision was imminent about whether to impose sanctions on China for

the alleged sale.



"Our challenge and our mission was to convey what we perceive the risk to be

and the severity of actions that may occur if sanctions were to be imposed,

and we would hope that there would be a resolution prior to that," McCurdy

said.



McCurdy is a member of the House of Representatives Armed Services

Committee.  He and his delegation met with Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and

other senior Chinese officials during their visit to Beijing.



The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it was considering imposing sanctions

on China because of intelligence reports that China had sold Pakistan

components for the M-11 missile.  U.S. officials say the sale would violate

an international agreement that restricts the sale of missiles and related

technology.  McCurdy says Chinese officials consistently denied the sale

and any violation of the international agreement.



"We did raise the point consistently that they were risking sanctions if

there wasn't a better environment, a better atmosphere of exchanging

1nformation and either refuting those charges or at least seeking a form by

which those tensions could be resolved," the congressman said.



The alleged missile sale is one of several issues impairing U.S. relations

with China.  On Monday, the United States criticized China's decision to

revoke the passport of a Chinese labor activist who had met with President

Clinton earlier this year.  The United States also is concerned that China

is trying to sell ingredients for chemical weapons to Iran.



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