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China probes report bomb plans ended up in Libya

China revealed yesterday it was investigating a US newspaper report that Chinese atomic bomb plans had been discovered in Libya after being sent there from Pakistan, stopping short of denying the allegations.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue (章啟月) declined to confirm or deny on Tuesday statements by US officials who believe Beijing is still cooperating with Saudi Arabia on missiles and with Pakistan on nuclear technology and missiles.

She said only that an investigation was under way into the report about transfers to Libya and reiterated China's opposition to proliferation of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction.

"China expresses its concern about the relevant reports. We are trying to learn more about the circumstances," Zhang told a news conference.

The Washington Post, citing government officials and arms experts, reported on Sunday that documents turned over by Libya yielded "dramatic evidence" of China's long-suspected role in transferring nuclear know-how to Pakistan in the early 1980s.

"The Chinese position is very clear-cut. China consistently has been opposed to the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology and supports the international community's efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation," Zhang said.

US officials told reporters they remained concerned about Beijing's missile exchanges with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, despite China's increased commitment to curbing arms proliferation.

Questions over non-proliferation were in the spotlight when US Undersecretary of State John Bolton, the top US non-proliferation official, met Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) in Beijing yesterday at the end of a two-day visit.

One of Bolton's goals was to persuade China to join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a US-led plan to end the illegal trade in weapons of mass destruction and which aims to stop ships on the high seas with a particular focus on those from North Korea.

Chinese officials repeated their stance that while China backed PSI in principle, it had concerns about its legality, specifically when it came to the interception of shipments and "the consequences that might produce," Zhang said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia denied on Monday that it was cooperating with China on missiles and might seek nuclear weapons from Pakistan.

A US official said in Washington that the Bush administration was "concerned about what the Saudis are getting from the Chinese in terms of missiles."

One US official said there was no evidence Pakistan had helped Saudi Arabia with a nuclear program, but another official said "there is always concern even if the information is flimsy."

The Saudi Press Agency said on Monday that a responsible source at the defense ministry "denied the Reuters report, the substance of which was that US officials believe that China is cooperating with the Kingdom over access to Chinese missiles."

A defense ministry official said the report was "fabricated and baseless, and reiterated that the kingdom continues to seek a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction," the agency said.
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