Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien criticized US President George W. Bush's "cowboy-style attitude" in the current standoff with China, Canada's largest Toronto Star newspaper said Thursday.

China still demands an official apology from the US for the collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter near the Chinese coast.

The Chinese fighter crashed and the pilot is still missing. The US EP-3 spy plane landed in China's Hainan island without permission.

Toronto Star said Chretien made these remarks Wednesday after Bush demanded China release the 24 crew members of the spy plane.

While insisting on the safe return of the crew members and the spy plane, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has expressed "regret" to China over the missing Chinese pilot.

Chretien also warned members of parliament from his Liberal Party that the country is in for four very tough years dealing with Bush, the newspaper said.

The prime minister told a closed-door meeting that he would play just as rough or rougher when it came to US energy needs, if Bush wants to play rough on issues such as Canadian potato and softwood lumber exports.

(Xinhua 04/06/2001)