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China 'seriously concerned' over tests

India's nuclear tests will harm peace and stability in South Asia, China warned today.

China is "seriously concerned'' about the tests, the state-run Xinhua news agency said in a four-paragraph report quoting foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao.

China waited a full day after India's three underground explosions yesterday before commenting on it. Earlier today, Zhu refused to comment on the tests during a regular news briefing.

China's terse statement said nothing about whether China, the only declared nuclear power in Asia, would resume its own tests.

The nation set off its last nuclear test blast on July 29, 1996, and declared a moratorium on testing.

Meanwhile, Voice of Russia gave extensive coverage to the statements issued by Western leaders expressing displeasure over the development. Its midday bulletin today led with Annan's dismay at the detonation.

The UN secygen's appeal to the world community to abide by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was given a prominent place on the bulletin broadcast over the state-owned Moscow Radio.

The radio also referred to the Western powers's reported decision to consider the matter at the G-8 summit in London, of which Russia is now an active member.

The Russian print media, while giving extensive coverage to the Indian nuclear tests, observed caution against making any strong comment on India's action.

On Monday, Washington had called India's first nuclear explosions since 1974 "a very, very negative development,'' one that came only one month after a US official had personally urged New Delhi to try to ease tensions in South Asia.

Pakistan said the tests would draw Islamabad into a nuclear arms race.

India has declared itself a nuclear power by conducting three nuclear tests yesterday, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said on Tuesday.

By conducting its most recent tests, India had taken the step from being a potential nuclear power to a declared nuclear power, Gerald Segal told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in London.

A new nuclear power was emerging for the first time since 1964, when China conducted its first nuclear tests, Segal said.

Segal said India has about 100 weapons that can be turned into nuclear weapons with the turn of a screw. The Indian government had apparently taken the decision to produce nuclear weapons, he said.

According to the IISS, Western experts believe India can currently unleash its nuclear weapons from planes only and not from missiles. Segal said the current round of tests are part of Indian efforts to equip long-range missiles with nuclear warheads.

Segal said the government in New Delhi was pursuing two tactical goals in developing nuclear weapons: the ability to threaten Pakistan with short-range weapons and the ability to improve its long-range missiles with a view towards targeting China.

Britain, in a statement issued on behalf of the European Union presidency, expressed concern that the explosions "ran counter to treaties against nuclear testing and proliferation, and affected the peace and stability of South Asia.''

"The presidency expresses its dismay at the news of the Indian nuclear test,'' the EU said in a statement issued by Derek Fatchett, a minister at Britain's foreign office.

In Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand, people woke up to front-page headlines about the three underground nuclear tests that India conducted yesterday.

'India stuns world with three nuclear tests', screamed the giant headline atop The Independent newspaper in Dhaka.

In South Korea, which needed a nuclear accord four years ago to slow down the arms buildup of Communist North Korea, Seoul had no immediate comment on India's tests.

But South Korean newspapers gave them prominent coverage, including editorials analysing the possible implications.

"We cannot help but express our concern that the resumed nuclear tests in India may raise tension in the region and rekindle a nuclear arms race,'' the daily Munhwa Ilbo said in an editorial. "We demand that the countries of the world stop all nuclear tests and weapons development.''

But not every Asian country seemed alarmed.

In the Philippines, where a national election was held yesterday, and in Thailand, stories about India's tests didn't make the front pages of the top-selling daily newspapers. And neither country's governments came out with an official reaction.

In Sri Lanka, a nationalist group said the United States had no moral right to consider sanctions against India for carrying out the underground nuclear tests.

''They have no moral right to contemplate sanctions. It is the United States which introduced nuclear weapons to the world'', secretary of the Thinkers Forum, Nalin de Silva said.

He said America wanted to be the only power with nuclear weapons.

''It is unfortunate that India got into this mad race. But I feel I can understand why India has been forced to carry out the test'', he said.

''From a global scale, it is a good idea to have a nuclear deterrent, but from a regional point of view I hope India will not use it against anyone Particularly its neighbours'', he added.

The Sri Lankan government has not formally reacted to the Indian nuclear tests.

Senior foreign ministry officials, however, privately expressed concern that the development could lead to tension between Pakistan and India in the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation which could have a bearing on the SAARC summit, to be held in Colombo in July.

They said while Sri Lanka fully supported nuclear non- proliferation and is a signatory to the CTBT, they understood New Delhi's security concerns that led to the tests.

Meanwhile, India is taking note of the adverse reactions worldwide following the carrying out of triple underground nuclear testing yesterday.

Sources in the external affairs ministry said the government will take up the issue with the respective governments.

Meanwhile, a number of foreign envoys stationed in New Delhi called on Foreign Secretary K Raghunath and other senior officials in the ministry to register their concern and/or protest at India's action in resuming nuclear testing.

UNI

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