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US government agencies ordered to review contacts with Beijing

All United States government agencies have been ordered to review their contacts with Beijing.

China correspondent Tom O'Byrne reports that it's a move by the US to distance itself further from Beijing.

President George W Bush ordered the review on a case by case basis - in the words of a White House spokesman, "To determine those contacts that may be positive and productive for the United States and those that might not be." It affects everything from co-operation on space research projects to embassy events and purchasing in every American government department and agency. There's been no response to the news from China, but a decision earlier in the week to review the military-to-military relationship prompted a subtle warning from the Chinese Foreign Ministry that a growing and stable relationship means partners were often not free to pick and choose what suited them at the time.

6/05/01 5:00:47 | ABC Radio Australia News

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