USA: MILITARY SALES AGGRAVATE CHINESE-TAIWANESE TENSIONS

(14 Oct 1999) Mandarin/Nat The chairman of China's National People's Congress has warned that a proposal in the U-S Congress to expand military sales to Taiwan will aggravate Chinese-Taiwanese tensions and set back chances for peaceful reunification. Chairman Zeng Jianhui, who also heads the legislature's Foreign Affairs Committee, said he strongly opposed inclusion of Taiwan in any U-S-backed initiative to install missile defence systems in East Asia. Zeng was speaking in Washington D-C on Thursday. He's visiting the U-S as part of a parliamentary delegation which has been meeting this week with members of Congress. He described the meetings with his congressional counterparts as "friendly, co-operative, serious and frank". He acknowledged that some U-S lawmakers among the 30 involved in the discussions were "not so friendly" toward China but said the atmosphere was good. The Taiwan Security Enhancement Act now before Congress would permit expanded military sales to Taiwan, including air-to-air missiles, advanced radar and a missile defence system. It would also allow direct communications between the U-S and Taiwanese military forces. It would toughen the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which commits the United States to Taiwan's defence. Zeng also criticised the Senate's failure to ratify a treaty that bans nuclear weapons testing. He said the U-S had a responsibility to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty because of the country's status as a nuclear power. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) "I have also learned the news about the voting yesterday on TV, and I also feel regret over the result of the voting in your senate. As a nuclear power the United States and other countries should work to have the comprehensive test ban and also to work towards disarmament and I think the failure to ratify this treaty or the delay to ratify the treaty is not a good thing SUPER CAPTION: Zeng Jianhui, Chairman Chinese National People's Congress Democrats in the Senate had tried to stall a vote on the treaty's ratification, preferring to consider the issue at a later date. But the Republican-controlled Senate forced a vote, which fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to ratify the treaty. Zeng said the vote was a slap in the face to other countries working for non-proliferation -- but refrained from criticising U-S internal politics which surrounded the vote. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) "As to the first question, to the failure of your senate to ratify the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) for the time being, in my personal view I think, I think you will generate animus on the non-proliferation efforts in the world and as to what is due to some domestic political reason in the United States. As always China will not comment on the internal affairs of other countries in the world." SUPER CAPTION: Zeng Jianhui, Chairman Chinese National People's Congress Those against the C-T-B-T said it would weaken the power of the U-S military while allowing other countries to strengthen their nuclear weapons programs. The treaty still needs to be ratified by numerous countries before it can take effect. But Clinton and other world leaders said those countries would follow if the U-S took the lead. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...