Mr. Chairman, the missile and WMD proliferation problem continues to change in ways that make it harder to monitor and control, increasing the risk of substantial surprise. Add to this group the private companies, scientists, and engineers in Russia, China, and India who may be increasing their involvement in these activities, taking advantage of weak or unenforceable national export controls and the growing availability of technologies. These trends have continued and, in some cases, have accelerated over the past year. Beijing's goal of becoming a key world player and especially more powerful in East Asia has come sharply into focus. It is pursuing these goals through an ambitious economic reform agenda, military modernization, and a complex web of initiatives aimed at expanding China's international influence-especially relative to the United States.
Chinese leaders view solid relations with Washington as vital to achieving their ambitions.
It is a two-edged sword for them, Mr. Chairman. China's development remains heavily reliant on access to Western markets and technology. But they also view Washington as their primary obstacle because they perceive the U.S. as bent on keeping China from becoming a great power. Perhaps the toughest issue between Beijing and Washington remains Taiwan. The election last March of President Chen ushered in a divided government with highly polarized views on relations with Beijing.