The Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, has warned of a new world arms race if the US carries out its threat to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty and proceed with its controversial proposed Missile Defence System.
The defence standoff would "definitely" be raised with President Bush when he travels to China to attend an APEC summit in October, the Premier told The Irish Times in an exclusive interview ahead of his first official visit to Ireland tomorrow.
"Of course, President Bush will try his best to persuade China in agreeing to these moves. However, as far as the Chinese side is concerned, we will make also very clear our position on this point," he said.
In the first public comment by a Chinese leader following last week's signal from President Bush that the US would withdraw from the 1972 nuclear arms pact, Mr Zhu said such a move "would only further worsen the arms race in the world".
Last week Mr Bush sent the clearest signal yet that Americans would withdraw from ABM "on our timetable".
The treaty is regarded by many countries, including Russia and China, as the cornerstone of international security.
The Premier made it clear that China would not look to the Belfast Agreement as a possible model for solving the Tibet question. In a written question, he was asked what his view was of this proposal put forward by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, when he visited China in 1998.
In what appeared to be a message to the Irish Government to stay out of the Tibetan issue, Mr Zhu said: "Matters concerning Tibet are purely China's internal affairs."
Full interview: page 11