It says that all major cities in India are within the range of Chinese missiles. From this it concluded that India should not only keep reliable nuclear deterrents but also develop sophisticated weapon delivery systems.

Not coincidently, Indian Defence Minister Jaswant Singh announced on the same day that the Indian government has approved a plan to develop long-range missiles.

It is nothing new that India should use the excuse of a fabricated "China threat" to expand its military might. India astonished the world in May 1998 when it conducted five nuclear tests on the grounds that it had to counter a "China threat."

The Indian defence ministry's report last week is nothing more than old tricks. Such a move is against the positive development of relations between the two countries.

Since 1999, the two neighors have managed to improve their previously strained ties. Chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee Li Peng visited India early this year, following Indian President K. R. Narayanan's visit to China last year.

The two countries also made a substantial breakthrough earlier this year in negotiations on boundary problems, which helped guarantee peace and tranquility in the border area.

As is known to all, it was completely out of self-defence considerations that China developed its nuclear weapons. China has already promised that it will never be the first one to use nuclear weapons.

Indian leaders know this. Both President Narayanan and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh have claimed that India and China should not threaten each other.

But they are now betrayed by the Defence Ministry's report. The latest edition of the "China threat" theory in the report makes India's attitude to China look equivocal.

After experiencing many ups and downs, both China and India have realized a friendly China-India relationship is good for both sides.

The hard-won friendship between the two nations should be cherished, not abused.

(China Daily 06/11/2001)