Jim Ryun: “one thing that has been truly a pleasure in serving our national security is that when we come to an issue such as this…”

“one thing that has been truly a pleasure in serving our national security is that when we come to an issue such as this that is really a national security issue for this country, I have seen this committee come together in such a way that they worked on policy and not on politics. So I hope today that it will be unanimous and strong support for this amendment, the Hefley-Ryun amendment, because I do believe there is a threat with communist nuclear missiles. In 1996, after the failed launch of the Chinese Long March missile, engineers from the United States aerospace firms went to China to lend their expertise to Great Wall Industries, the manufacturer of these particular missiles. A 1997 classified Department of Defense report concluded that at least one U.S. company gave sensitive missile guidance technology to the Chinese. The DOD report then concluded that that transfer damaged our national security. So that is why this is beyond politics and it is really into policy. Next month, President Clinton will visit Beijing. He is expected to announce a new space cooperation agreement and possibly discuss lifting sanctions on the transfer of further military technology. As long as China remains a communist country and transfers technology to regimes such as Iran and Pakistan are possible through China, the United States should not share its commercial space technology that could be used against us for military purposes.”