12 February 2000
Taiwan's Chief of General Staff Tang Yao-ming tells reporters that earlier in the day China sailed a Russian-built Sovremenny-class destroyer through the Taiwan Strait en route to its port of delivery. The ship is the first of two such destroyers to be delivered this year, both armed with Russian anti-ship Sunburn cruise missiles.
--Craig S. Smith, "New Chinese Guided-Missile Ship Heightens Tensions," The New York Times, 9 February 2000, in Lexis-Nexis, <www.lexisnexis.com>; "Taiwan Reports on New Chinese Warship," The New York Times, Reuters, 12 February 2000, in Lexis-Nexis, <www.lexisnexis.com>.

12 February 2000
A Chinese national is detained by customs officials at Los Angeles International Airport for trying to leave the country with sensitive components used in missile guidance systems. The man had told undercover agents that the technology was to be used, "by the Chinese government on missile and reconnaissance systems."
--"Man Arrested With Missile Guidance Gear," The New York Times, 15 February 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

1 March 2000
In a statement to the Control Yuan, the Taiwanese army states that Patriot anti-missile systems deployed in Taiwan should have the capability to intercept Chinese M-series missiles. Although a large concentration of Chinese missiles are deployed only 200 km from Taiwan and would allow for little reaction time, Army officials displayed confidence in the Patriot system's quick response time.
--Central News Agency, "Taiwan Army Says Its Patriots Can Intercept Chinese M-Series Missiles," in BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 1 March 2000, in Lexis-Nexis, <www.lexisnexis.com>.

10 May 2000
In an interview, China's chief arms negotiator Sha Zhukang warns that if the US goes ahead with the deployment of theater missile defense, China will respond with measures like producing more nuclear warheads and developing more effective evasion methods for their missiles. Sha also describes the projected missile defense system as "threatening to China."
--Jane Perlez, "China Likely to Modernize Nuclear Arms, US Believes," The New York Times, 12 May 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

16 May 2000
According to a spokesman for the Russian military-industrial complex, a 24-missile shipment of Russian Moskit (Sunburn) anti-ship cruise missiles arrives in China. The shipment is the first of two to be made this year.
--ITAR-TASS News Agency, "First Lot Of Russian Moskit Missiles Shipped To China," 16 May, 2000, in BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union – Economic, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

2 July 2000
According to a U.S. intelligence report, China is continuing to supply missile materials and technology to Pakistan, although it is not believed to shipping completed missile systems as in the past. The reports come in the context of Congress considering a bill designed to punish China for its proliferation activities, while the Clinton administration is trying to normalize trade relations with China.
--Thomas E. Ricks, "China Still Aiding Pakistan's Missile Program, Reports Indicate," The Washington Post, 2 July, 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>; David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, "Reports Say China is Aiding Pakistan on Missile Project," The New York Times, 2 July, 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

11 July 2000
During Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's visit to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi links continued Chinese proliferation of missile technology to U.S. decisions to continue pursuing missile defense. Chinese officials specifically connect Washington's construction of a missile defense system covering Taiwan to Beijing's future transfers to Pakistan and Middle Eastern countries. Conversely, the Clinton administration ties U.S. missile defense efforts with Chinese missile base buildups across the Taiwan Strait.
--John Pomfret, "China Again Demands US Drop Missile Defense Plan; Beijing Links Weapon Exports to American Verdict in System," The Washington Post, 12 July, 2000, in Lexis-Nexis, <www.lexisnexis.com>.

28 September 2000
The Pentagon approves the sale of a $1.3 billion arms package to Taiwan, including 200 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), which under an unusual clause will not be transferred unless China develops a similar air-to-air missile capability. The reasoning behind the clause is to preserve stability of the regional military balance.
--"Missile Sale to Taiwan Has Unusual Clause," The New York Times, Associated Press, 30 Sept 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

21 November 2000
In response to a pledge from China to rigorously control its missile exports, the US government agrees to resume issuing licenses for US commercial space-launches in China. China promises to configure its export control standards closer to the MTCR, and pledges not to help other countries "in any way" develop nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The space launch licenses had been suspended since February.
--Carla Anne Robbins and Andy Pasztor, "US to Ease Space-Launch Suspension in China After Pledge of Missile Control," The Wall Street Journal, 22 Nov 2000, in ProQuest, <www.proquest.com>.

5 February 2001
According to a senior US military official, the Chinese military is continuing to add short-range missiles to its arsenal deployed along the Taiwan straits, bringing the estimated total up to 300 missiles. The official also stated that China continues to receive high-level missile technology from Russia, naming the Russian company Rosvooruzheniye as "becoming China's major supplier." In addition to advanced ballistic missile technology, Russia has also been supplying the Chinese military with strategic nuclear warhead technology.
--Bill Gertz, "China Adding Missiles Aimed Toward Taiwan; US Warns of Increasing Destabilization," The Washington Times, 5 February 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>.

28 February 2001
US officials accuse Huawei Technologies Company, a private Chinese telecommunications firm, of selling fiber-optic technology to Iraq to rebuild and improve its anti-aircraft missile systems. Such sales go against UN sanctions, and according to officials created a threat, resulting in the bombardment of Iraqi air defenses by US and British warplanes patrolling the no-fly zone in February. Chinese government officials announce they may be willing to investigate the incident.
--John Pomfret and Phillip P. Pan, "Chinese Firm is Focus of US Iraqi Suspicions," The Washington Post, 1 March 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>; John Pomfret "China Shifts Stance, May Probe US Claims That It Assisted Iraq," The Washington Post, 28 February 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>.

21 April 2001
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Bush Administrations has decided not to sell advanced anti-missile system-equipped Aegis destroyers to Taiwan, but will keep the possibility open depending on developments in Chinese-Taiwanese relations and the Chinese missile buildup. Some senior Pentagon officials had originally pushed for a more overt connection between the Aegis sale and pressure on China to curb missile deployments along the Taiwan straits, but the White House elected to use a less forceful approach.
--Neil King, Jr., "Bush Defers Sale of Aegis to Taiwan," The Wall Street Journal, 21 April 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>.

1 May 2001
At a speech at the National Defense University, President Bush announces plans to pull the US out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and calls for the deployment of a missile defense system "to protect the United States and its allies from rogue nuclear nations." The announcement prompted Democrats from the US House of Representatives to express alarm about a possible new arms race with China, which is thought to have approximately 20 nuclear-capable ICBMs in its arsenal and may seek to expand its deterrence capability. Sun Yuxi, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, says that although opposed to the development of a missile defense system, China is willing to engage in negotiations with the US.
--Bill Sammon, "Bush Scraps '72 Treaty for a Shield; Targets Pacts on ABMs as an Obstacle," The Washington Times, 2 May 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>; Carla Anne Robbins, "Bush Speaks of Leaving ABM Pact, Building a Missile Defense System," The Wall Street Journal, 2 May 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>; "China Willing to Negotiate With the US on TMD, NMD: FM Spokesman," Xinhua, 10 May 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>.

15 May 2001
Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly meets with Chinese arms control and foreign policy officials to make the case for the proposed missile defense system. Chinese officials maintain that the system would endanger global security, and that it would "harm others without benefiting the United States itself."
--Erik Eckholm, "China Unconvinced as Missile Talks End," The New York Times, 16 May 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>.

June 2001
The Journal of Electronic Defense publishes a report that the Chinese military's CSS-7 missiles may be much more of a threat to Taiwan than previously believed, because of the use of extremely accurate American GPS guidance systems. The report stated that the low-cost GPS systems could be easily ordered from 32 American mail-order companies, and had a standard accuracy of 1-5 meters 95% of the time.
--Kenneth B. Sherman, "GPS May Heighten CSS-7 Threat," Journal of Electronic Warfare, June 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>.

10 June 2001
China test-fires a new type of air-launched land-attack cruise missile, called the Hong Niao (Red Bird). Military experts say that the new missile is an extended-range version of the C-802 anti-ship cruise missile, with a range of at least 177km, and is thought to be a hybrid of Russian Kh-55, US Tomahawk, and Israeli cruise missile technologies.
--"China Test-Fires Land-Attack Cruise Missile," The Straits Times, 10 June, 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>.

28 July 2001
Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with Chinese leaders, discussing alleged missile proliferation to Pakistan among other subjects. US diplomats had filed formal complaints about multiple transfers of nuclear-capable missiles and missile technology, which Chinese officials deny, and have not replied to US requests for clarification. Chinese leaders, however, do agree to consult with US experts on domestic missile export guidelines. The issue of grandfathering old contracts is still contentious though, and Powell has not ruled out sanctions as a response to continued proliferation, a marked policy shift from the Clinton administration.
--Steven Mufson and Philip P. Pan, "US, China Set For More Talks; Powell Raises Rights, Arms Issues," The Washington Post, 29 July 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>; John Pomfret, "US Protests Exports of Missiles By China; Beijing Denies Sales; Powell To Raise Issue on Visit," The Washington Post, 27 July 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>.

31 August 2001
The Bush Administration decides to impose sanctions on Chinese National Machinery
and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) for supplying Pakistan with missile components for its nuclear-capable Shaheen 1 and 2 ballistic missile programs. The sanctions will be imposed after China's pledge in November 2000 to stop such proliferation activity, and before President Bush's upcoming first official visit to China. The sanctions will prevent US companies from launching satellites on Chinese rockets, and will forbid any transfers of US technology to the Chinese satellite industry.
--Robin Wright, "US To Sanction Chinese Firm; Asia: Washington Says The Arms Maker Has Sold Parts To Pakistan in Violation of the Accord Reached in Beijing," Los Angeles Times, 1 September 2001, in ProQuest <www.proquest.com>; Bill Gertz, "Beijing Breaks Pledge, Helps Pakistan Arm," The Washington Times, 6 August 2001, in Lexis-Nexis <www.lexisnexis.com>.

	Updated June 2008