Hearing on China’s Proliferation Practices and Role in the North Korea Crisis
Opening Statement of Commissioner Larry Wortzel
March 10, 2005
Washington, DC
Good Morning,
This Commission has the responsibility to analyze and assess the Chinese role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other weapons, to terrorist-sponsoring states. The Commission is also given the responsibility in legislation to suggest steps that the United States can take to encourage the Chinese government to stop such practices. Later today the hearing will look at China’s role in North Korea, both as a major economic and political supporter of Kim Jong-il’s regime, and as a partner in the Six-party Talks trying to achieve some resolution to North Korea’s nuclear program.
Thank you for your participation in this hearing. These events are important ways to focus public attention on critical security matters. Your views help the Commissioners form recommendations on these issues.
A basic question on proliferation is whether the government of China supports weapons proliferation to terrorist-sponsoring states as a matter of policy, even if that policy is never stated. The Chinese government might do so to get access to resources, to open markets, or to thwart the foreign policies of other nations, including the United States. When U.S. economic sanctions have been imposed because of proliferation by China, the sanctions have been against individuals or companies. I would argue that after a certain point, if the Chinese government doesn’t act to stop such proliferation, one must conclude that permitting this proliferation is Chinese government policy.
After all, China has extensive police resources to devote to enforcing government policy. The Chinese government can devote some 50,000 police to the task of preventing citizens from communicating on the Internet. In a 10-month period last year, China closed 47,000 Internet cafes for what was called “disseminating harmful cultural information.” And China seems to find the
resources to suppress religious practices. In one recent case, Jiang Zongxice, a 34-year old Chinese citizen, was arrested and beaten to death by public security officials for passing out bibles and Christian literature.
Americans must ask why China can find the necessary police to shut down Internet communications or arrest Christians, but the Chinese government can’t seem to find enough security agents to find and stop companies from proliferating weapons to terrorist-sponsoring states.
Our goal in these hearings is to form recommendations to Congress and the Executive branch to help change the Chinese government’s priorities.