Pakistan Rejects Reports of China-aided Missile PlantPakistan's embassy in Washington on Wednesday branded reports that China was helping its government to build a new missile plant as "completely baseless."The denial followed a report in the Far Eastern Economic Review of June 22, which said US officials were concerned China may have resumed work on an M-11 missile plant. "The Embassy of Pakistan categorically rejects the recent media reports," said a statement sent to journalists in Washington. "These reports are completely baseless. It is also regrettable that these false reports have been used to mislead the US Senate and criticize Pakistan. The statement added that cooperation between Pakistan and China was consistent with their respective international obligations. The Review said that Robert Einhorn, the US Assistant Secretary of State for non proliferation, flew from Hong Kong to Beijing earlier this month to extract a commitment from the Chinese government not to export missile technology. The United States has become increasingly alarmed at the missile race between India and Pakistan since both sides conducted nuclear tests in 1998. Earlier this month India successfully test fired its own short-range surface-to-surface Prithvi (Earth) missile which in some models is nuclear capable. Pakistan last week vehemently denied a Japanese press report alleging North Korean scientists helped it match India in missile development, official reports said. |
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