World Tibet Network News Tuesday, May 12, 1998

BEIJING, May 11 (Reuters) - China was mum on Monday hours after India announced it had conducted three underground nuclear tests.

The official Xinhua news agency reported the tests but had no comment. Foreign Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced on Monday the three underground nuclear tests were conducted in the western state of Rajasthan.

Earlier this month Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes said China had built a sophisticated electronic surveillance base in Myanmar's Coco Islands and was beefing up airfields in Tibet to take supersonic fighters capable of striking at India's borders.

Myanmar denied the allegation.

China expressed ``utmost regret and resentment'' at comments by Fernandes over the military threat posed by Beijing and warned they could sabotage friendly

relations.

Fernandes, a former socialist firebrand whose Samata Party is a key partner in the Hindu nationalist-led ruling coalition, said India had long focused on the threat from Pakistan while ignoring the equal danger posed by China.

China fought a brief border war with India in 1962, but relations have warmed in recent years.

In April, Fernandes accused China of providing Pakistan missile technology after Islamabad announced it had tested its longest-range missile capable of striking targets deep inside India.

Beijing, which has long enjoyed a close military relationship with Pakistan, denied the allegation.