Russia Slams US Missile Plan After China Talks

Moscow attacked US plans for a missile defence system on Tuesday, saying both Russia and China believed it would jeopardise 30 years of strategic stability.

Both countries restated their strong opposition to the proposed US missile shield at a meeting in Moscow on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The two sides swapped views after hearing from US officials who toured Europe and Asia this month to drum up support for the project.

US President George W. Bush insists the National Missile Defence (NMD) system is needed to defend the US from "rogue states" like North Korea and Iraq.

Russia has said it understands US concerns but believes steps to head off potential threats should not destroy the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which is the cornerstone of non-proliferation.

"Russia and China again asserted that they oppose plans for deployment of a global anti-missile defence system, banned under the 1972 treaty, and do not find convincing the reasoning and arguments of the plan's supporters," the Moscow statement said.

After meeting Bush in Washington last week, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov backed more talks and cooperation about the plan, which has sent a chill through US-Russian relations this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bush will meet next month in Slovenia and Ivanov is expected to meet US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Budapest later this month.

(Xinhua 05/22/2001)