China role in peaceful world questioned

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) Despite its rising power and wealth, China may not be willing or ready to play a responsible role in an international system aimed at encouraging peace and stability, a commission set up by the US Congress said in a report released today.

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused China of failing ''to meet the threshold test of international responsibility in the area of non-proliferation'' by aiding Iran's nuclear, missile and chemical programs and refusing to effectively use its leverage to bring North Korea back into nuclear weapons negotiations.

It said China in recent years has allowed the transfer of weapons and technology across its territory from North Korea to Iran and even if Beijing wanted to control such transfers, this would be very difficult.

Beijing's adherence to World Trade Organisation obligations remains ''spotty and halting'' five years after attaining membership while its hunt for oil and gas holdings overseas could ''substantially effect US energy security,'' the report added.

This is the fourth annual report of the commission, created by Congress to examine the national security implications of the US-China bilateral trade and economic relationship.

The commission has been controversial because of concerns its members tend to be overly critical of China.

Most American experts believe the rising Asian superpower could go either way, becoming a US adversary or a responsible ''stakeholder'' strengthening a stable international system.

The United States last year encouraged China to become a ''stakeholder'' and more often than not, the Bush administration has emphasized Beijing's cooperation on North Korea and other issues, rather than its failings.

However, the commission said that while it still hoped China might one day be a pillar of the international community, ''many of the trends of the past year raise serious doubts about whether China is willing or prepared to play such a role.'' ''China's continuing record of proliferation, including its indulgence of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and its involvement in Iran's programs, is deeply destabilizing,'' the report said.

It also expressed concern that China is conducting biological and chemical weapons research in violation of Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention obligations.

The United States for years has pressed China to halt weapons of mass destruction and missile cooperation with Iran and within the past year has three times imposed sanctions on 11 Chinese firms.

Recurring transfers of militarily sensitive technologies suggest some firms are ''serial proliferators and have no fear of government controls or punishments,'' the report said.

The commission said from April to July 2003, ''China reportedly gave overflight rights to Iranian II-76 cargo planes that flew to North Korea at least six times to pick up wooden crates suspected of containing cruise missiles.'' But after a US protest in June 2005, China denied overflight rights for an Iranian plane departing from North Korea, the report said.

China-Iran nuclear cooperation has waned amid mounting international pressure on Tehran to halt uranium enrichment. Still, some experts believe China continues to support ''Iran's technological advancements and training of nuclear physicists,'' the report said.

REUTERS SRS BD0116