May 25, 1999
Web posted at: 4:03 p.m. EDT (2003 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 25) - President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that while he will "work very hard with the Congress to protect our national security," he plans on continuing the policy of engagement with China because it is "in our national interest."

Citing the newly released Cox report, Clinton directly addressed the issue of Chinese espionage, saying "like many other countries, China seeks to acquire our sensitive information and technology. We have a solemn obligation to protect such national security information, and we have to do more to do it."

The president said he agreed with an "overwhelming majority" of the recommendations from the select House committee, led by Rep. Christopher Cox (R-California), for tightening security. Clinton added that in February 1998 he put in place "the most sweeping reorganization ever of counterintelligence in our nuclear weapons labs."

He also noted that since 1996, U.S. funding for counterintelligence measures has increased from $2.6 million to nearly $40 million.

But the president also defended his administration's policy of so-called "constructive engagement" with China to deal with other issues.

"I strongly believe that our continuing engagement with China has produced benefits for our national security," Clinton said noting China's decision to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, end nuclear cooperation with Iran and Pakistan and assist in eliminating North Korea's nuclear program and reduce its missile threat.

Earlier Tuesday the chief spokesman for the president called the recommendations of the Cox report "constructive" in a written statement

"We found most of the recommendations constructive and we are in the process of implementing them," said White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart.

The statement continued: "While we do not agree with all of the report's analysis, the administration and the select committee share a common objective, ensuring that U.S. national secrets are protected and that our civilian technology is not diverted for military purposes."

White House officials tell CNN that they found some of the rhetoric in the report a bit overblown and questioned some of the committee interpretations. But, they say, they are in full agreement with the fact that there were serious security problems at the national laboratories that date back more than 20 years.

About 70 percent of the original congressional report was declassified and made public Tuesday morning.

The report concludes China has been stealing America's most sensitive nuclear secrets "for at least the past several decades" and despite high-level knowledge of the thefts, security at U.S. nuclear labs still "does not meet even minimal standards."

Lockhart said that the president received a classified version of the report on January 4 and delivered a response to the committee recommendations on February 1.

The Clinton Administration first learned of the extent of the alleged espionage in 1995 when a Chinese citizen gave the CIA a classified document from Beijing that demonstrated China had obtained information on the W-88 and half a dozen other U.S. nuclear warheads.

Although the report claims the president was made aware of the allegations in early 1998 and the administration has taken steps to boost security at nuclear labs, security will "not be satisfactory until at least sometime in the year 2000."

Tuesday, May 25, 1999

• Bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill over China spying report
• Clinton to continue engagement of China despite espionage report
• If Clinton stumbles, Gore may pay the price in 2000
• Poll: Americans want temporary halt to airstrikes
• GOP: House won't consider juvenile crime bill until mid-June
• Starr won't retry McDougal or Steele
• Huang charged with single finance felony count
• First lady helps Nita Lowey raise $1 million
• Gore courts female voters for 2000
• Bush, other Republican candidates criticize Clinton over China espionage
• IRS chief testifies on collections
• GOP scrapes for extra money as spending bills begin moving
• Former Louisiana governor's grandson missing on Oregon hiking trip
• Senate votes to exonerate two American commanders
• House backs center for missing kids
• Mrs. Reagan, Thatcher praise McCain
• Hyde outlines plan for gun controls in juvenile crime bill
• Senator won't block Summers nomination
• New Hampshire House passes Martin Luther King holiday bill
• Clintons head for relaxation among the wildlife
• Bradley to offer gun control plan
• Bradley campaigning against Gore
• Gingrich says GOP shouldn't be gloomy about 2000 prospects
• D.C. tuition bill advances to Senate
• Supreme Court justices took 100 free trips in 1998
• Senate hits criminals' profits
• Arbitrators hear testimony to decide Zapruder film's value
• Customs Service reforms target misconduct, official says

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