U.S. DOWNPLAYS RUSSIAN ARMS SALES TO CHINA.

Although he confirmed that China has become a major purchaser of Russian weaponry, a top Clinton Administration official said on January 14 that the acquisitions had not reached alarming proportions. U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Winston Lord also said that there was no indication that the evolving partnership between Moscow and Beijing would develop into an alliance that could threaten the U.S. (AP, January 14)

Russian-Iraqi Oil Deal.