NUCLEAR PACT WITH CHINA WINS SENATE APPROVAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870050-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: November 22, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870050-6
WASHINGTON POST
22 November 1985
Nuclear. Pact, With China
Wins _Senate Approval
Absent Critics Taken by Surprise
By Joanne Omang'
Washington poet staff writer
The Senate gave unexpected ap-
proval yesterday to President Rea-
gan's proposed nuclear trade agree-
ment with China, paving the way for
U.S. firms to begin exports to Pek-
ing after Dec. 11.
Passage by voice vote during a
break in debate on the farm bill sur-
prised some leading critics,. who
were not present. The verdict fol-
lows committee action last week
attaching conditions drafted by a
leading critic of the measure, Sen.
Alan Cranston (D-Calif.)
But other critics, who joined
Cranston in arguing that the orig-
inal agreement did not provide ad-
equate safeguards against the
spread of nuclear weapons, main-
tain that the new conditions are in-
sufficient.
Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio) was
among the latter, calling the pact a
"bold and alarming step backwards"
in U.S. support for the international
nonproliferation regime."
The 30-year pact, first initialed
during. President Reagan's trip to
Peking in April 1984, establishes
the legal framework to allow the
U.S. nuclear industry to bid for a
share of China's estimated $6 bil-
lion nuclear power plant construc-
tion program.The House is expect-
ed to approve an identical version of
the agreement soon.
In a speech after the vote, Glenn
said that he had not tried to amend
the measure further because ex-
tending debate beyond Dec. 11
would have caused the original ver-
sion to take effect automatically.
"I certainly prefer to have the
compromise resolution, flawed as it
is, than to have nothing," Glenn
said.
Cranston contended that his
changes provide "very effective
safeguards without requiring any
renegotiation of the agreement
with China." He noted that the For-
eign Relations Committee vote last
week was "a pretty solid" 14 to 3.
"You'll never get a perfect agree-
ment, but I. think we've got a pretty
good one," he said.
In a statement, the State Depart-
ment agreed; saying: "This resole'-,
tion in no way undercuts the imple-
mentation of our agreement with
China." It promised to *cohditm`to
develop a dialogue MW, [Chihal on
nonproliferation policy `a W'riUdWr
cooperation" and a dial ogrtie ivlih
Congress on U.S.-China relatidns
The pact was conttoversit' Rjn
the outset because of China s'ur
vious endorsement of nuclear pro-
liferation its unwillingness to sub-
mit to International tonne: ner
Agency (IAEA) safeguards, and in-
telligence reports that,
technicians had been helping ?at a
suspected Pakistani bomb-deXebp-
ment Vie.
Administration officials.' sought
additional Chinese assurancessI Al-
though these were verbal, the Oct
was submitted to Congress during
the visit here of Chinese President
Li Xiannian last July.
After the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission and others raised con-
cerns, Glenn proposed amendments
that would have required .Cl}i':to
clarify its nonproliferation pojipy in
writing, formally recognize tbat
U.S. laws supersede any. provisions
of the pact and acknowledge that
the approval of future peques'
permission to reprocess U.S.
plied fuel is not guaranteed.
Glenn's version also would have
required presidential' certification
that all U.S. exporters: observe
IAEA or equivalent..safeguards. .
Cranston's language requires the
president' to certify-only- that vre-
ciprocal arrangements [with China]
are effective in ensuring- peaceful
uses" of nuclear technology licensed
and resold by China.
"The message this sends to the
entire world is that the IAEA sys-
tem of safeguards is more intrusive
than it needs to be," Glenn said.
Cranston said yesterday that his
compromise wording will, still re-
quire the administration to "clarify
some loose ends" with. China, al-
though it does not require further
Chinese action.
Instead, it requires that the pres-
ident certify to Congress that China
has provided "additional informa-
tion" proving it is not helping to
spread nuclear weaponry, that U.S.
laws will be observed and that re-
processing approval is not guaran-
teed.
The resOlutiop'alsb adds'that'the
terms of this pact will not set a pre-
cedent for deals with other nations.
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870050-6