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 (
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 (
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.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
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