CIA report finds increased Chinese arms sales to Pak.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, AUG. 9. China has increased its missile related sales to Pakistan and is continuing to supply nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to Iran, Libya and North Korea, according to the Central Intelligence Agency.

In its semi-annual report to Congress, a summary of which was published in The Washington Times, the CIA said, ``we cannot preclude'' that China has ongoing contacts with Pakistani officials and in the process violating a 1996 pledge to stop assistance to Islamabad's nuclear programmes not under international controls.

``Chinese missile related technical assistance to Pakistan increased during this reporting period,'' the CIA noted and pointed out that Beijing's involvement with Pakistan would continue to be monitored closely. Under a 1977 law, the CIA is required to report to Congress every six months on intelligence findings of weapons sales.

It is being said that the latest finding of the nodal intelligence agency would contradict the assertion of the Clinton administration that China's proliferation record was improving.

Recently, the President's National Security Adviser reportedly assured Senators to this effect while lobbying against a legislation that sought to punish China for arms transfers to ``so called'' rogue nations.

The Thompson amendment, tagged to China's Permanent Normal Trade Relations Bill, is seen as getting a major boost as a result of the CIA report.

It is not for the first time that intelligence agencies in the United States have pinpointed China's proliferation track record and its continued peddling of nuclear and missile wares and technology.

And routinely, Beijing issues denials that are neither startling nor out of the ordinary.

In fact, critics have said that China insists on more details in an effort to find out about intelligence gathering of the U.S. to avoid future detection.

The CIA report said Chinese companies increased their assistance to Pakistan's missile programme. ``Such assistance is critical for Islamabad's efforts to produce ballistic missiles,'' it added. Pakistan purchased advanced fighters and anti-ship missiles from China; and acquired nuclear weapons related goods from Western Europe.

India's nuclear weapons programme benefited from Russian and Western European assistance and the country was working to develop more sophisticated nuclear arms; Russia and India were discussing the leasing of several long-range bombers that would provide the Indian military a ``significantly'' longer range strike capability, the CIA noted.

China's transfers to Pakistan on the missile front will come as no major shock for, in the last five years, there has been consistent reports on the subject, especially in The Washington Times. At the same time, the Clinton administration - quite wary of lost businesses in a mega market - has been found to be extremely reluctant to take Beijing to task for either violating treaties or its so-called commitments. Several senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill are determined to find a way out of this persisting problem.

Even without the CIA's latest findings, the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, during his visit to the U.S. is expected to go much beyond Pakistan-related subjects and take up the China- Pakistan nexus seriously, particularly as it relates to the nuclear and missile fronts.

The Clinton administration, keen on roping in China as a part of the solution to the proliferation problem in South Asia, appears to ignore that China is the problem in the region.

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Section  : International
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