YORKSHIRE CND
PRESS RELEASE: August 7th 2003 - for immediate release
CONCERNS OVER MISSILE DEFENCE VINDICATED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
Statement by China and report by US evidence of arms race threat
A report made public by the US Department for defense this week has virtually admitted what CND and other groups concerned about missile defence have been saying for a long time - that the system will provoke an arms race. The report - entitled "Military Power of the People's Republic of China" states that China is planning to significantly increase its nuclear arsenal to maintain the "credibility" of its nuclear force in the face of missile defence. The report concludes that China is trying to overcome the threat posed by US interests in the area, particularly Taiwan.
The report comes just days after China and Russia issued a joint statement expressing grave concerns over the development of US space weapons, as part of the missile defence system and as independent weapons. In the statement, issued on July 31st, Chinese disarmament ambassador Hu Xiaodi told the Conference on Disarmament that, "The risk of weaponization of outer space is mounting" - a statement that sources close to the ambassador said were directed at US missile defence plans.
Today Yorkshire CND said that the two stories are evidence in support of their argument that missile defence will cause instability and weapons proliferation.
"We've said all along that the two main threats of missile defence to the international community are firstly the threat of weapons proliferation - especially by China - in an attempt to overcome the system and secondly the placing of weaponry in space, which could lead to an arms race both in space and on the Earth." said Neil Kingsnorth - development Worker at Yorkshire CND.
"These statements are the first evidence of just such threats becoming reality. The UK government must come clean about their full involvement in this destabilising system, and should publicly commit to banning the development of Space weapons."
Yorkshire is the UK home of missile defence with two key bases - Fylingdales near Whitby and Menwith Hill near Harrogate - essential to the plan.
Russia and China are calling for a treaty entitled "Preventions of an Arms Race in Outer Space", which would ban the placing of weapons in outer space.
On Saturday October 11th Yorkshire CND and CAAB will be holding a demonstration at Menwith Hill as part of Keep Space for Peace week entitled "Don't take the peace out of space!" Today's news is a timely reminder of the importance of just such an action.
ENDS