BEIJING, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The Communist Party accused Western governments and news media Friday of fomenting a new Cold War in the Asia-Pacific region under a propaganda campaign advocating China's "containment."

In a lengthy front-page commentary, the People's Daily denounced what it described as a Western conspiracy to "curb China's development" and sow discord among its regional neighbors by exploiting concerns over Beijing's policies toward Taiwan, Tibet, human rights, nuclear testing and military expansionism.

"Although their numbers are few, they are using outdated Cold War thinking and language, poisoning an atmosphere of international trust," said the newspaper, the party's mouthpiece.

"Preaching about the containment of China will inevitably lead to tension, confrontation and war," it added.

The commentary came two days after an article in the New York Times said China had warned the United States it has plans to launch a missile attack on Taiwan.

The U.S. State Department denied the report while China's Foreign Ministry refused to comment, preferring instead to criticize U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

"We have pointed out repeatedly that whether a country constitutes a threat to other countries is not necessarily related to its size, economic strength or speed of development, but is determined by what kind of foreign policies it pursues," the commentary continued.

"China has maintained social stability and has not created any tensions abroad in the present turbulent world," it said. "This fact, acknowledged by the whole world cannot be distorted by anyone or by any tricks."

While the commentary did not specifically identify countries involved, the United States was clearly a main target. The European Union was exempted from criticism for publicly rejecting in a policy statement containment of China in favor of "all-around cooperation."

The newspaper's harshest criticism, however, was reserved for the Western news media, cited as the main purveyor of "measures to contain China."

The party and cabinet-level State Council stepped up control over the foreign media Jan. 16, ordering economic information vendors to submit to regulation and censorship by the Xinhua news agency.

The move followed a joint cabinet and party decree mandating new rules governing links to global computer networks in what was seen as an attempt to clamp down on pornographic and political content on the Internet.

"The media has schemed to estrange China from the international community by thwarting China's bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games, frustrating its entry into the World Trade Organization" and favoring a greater international posture for Taiwan, the newspaper said.

The most serious accusation, however, was the media's alleged advocacy of moves to "subvert China's state power."

The charge has become a catch-all used by the Chinese government to intimidate and arrest Chinese dissidents, labor activists and religious and ethnic minority groups as well as expel foreign journalists.

China has come under increased media scrutiny since June, when U.S. President Bill Clinton, under strong pressure from Congress, decided to grant a visa to Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to attend his U.S. college reunion.

Beijing angrily withdrew its ambassador from Washington, postponed semiofficial discussion with Taipei and conducted two series of guided missile tests in the sea north of Taiwan in July and August.

Lee is expected to win Taiwan's first direct presidential elections March 23. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has accused him of leading the island toward de facto independence.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high over human rights, arms sales and nuclear testing but have eased considerably since the dispute over Lee's visit.

Diplomats in Beijing believe the expulsion of an American and a Japanese military attache earlier this month were part of China's retaliation against Washington for issuing a transit visa to Taiwanese Vice President Li Yuan-zu so he could attend a presidential inauguration in Guatemala.