US arms experts started talks in Beijing yesterday on allegations that China has violated a pledge not to spread ballistic missile technology, the US embassy said.
The US delegation, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Vann Van Diepen, was likely to continue talks on missiles with Chinese counterparts today, an embassy spokesman said.
Washington has highlighted missile proliferation as one of the top issues as the US and China rebuild ties after clashes over defense and human rights in the first half of this year.
The US wants China to abide by last November's commitment not to help any country develop ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear warheads, and to stick to the Missile Technology Control Regime, a voluntary international accord that tries to limit missiles exports to unstable regions.
US President George W. Bush is under intense pressure to impose sanctions on certain Chinese companies following reports that they transferred missile components to Pakistan this year.
China says it has stuck by its commitments on missile proliferation and demands that the US lift a ban on issuing licenses for US satellite exports to China in exchange.
But the White House is likely to delay indefinitely a decision to remove the ban until it is satisfied by China's assurances, US officials say.
Both sides have said they are keen to clear up the issue ahead of a planned summit in China in October, when President Jiang Zemin (
The embassy said yesterday's US delegation would discuss "missile non-proliferation issues, including the implementation of the November 2000 missile non-proliferation arrangement."
Two influential US Senators, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, urged the White House last week to impose sanctions on Chinese "entities" for transferring missile components to Pakistan this year.
The Washington Times had reported that the government-owned China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corp (CMEC) sent a dozen shipments of missile components to Pakistan by truck this year, in violation of last November's agreement.
China and Pakistan say the reports are untrue.
Pentagon officials have also accused China of helping Iraq rebuild its air defenses by laying fiber-optic cables.
"As regards to allegations of continuing Chinese assistance to Iraq's air defense network we have repeatedly pressed China for scrupulous adherence by Chinese firms to relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the embassy spokesman said.
"Senior Chinese leaders have assured us that China will live up to its responsibility to uphold UN Security Council resolutions and has indicated the Chinese have taken steps to ensure that Chinese companies abide by these resolutions."
RSS