China said today it was deeply shocked by a report in the Los Angeles Timesabout a US move to prepare contingency plans to use nuclear weapons against at least seven countries including China.
State television quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mr Sun Yuxi demanded an explanation and said China and the United States had agreed not to target each other with nuclear weapons.
"Like many other countries, China is deeply shocked with the content of this report," Mr Sun said. The US side has a responsibility to explain this. "China is a peace-loving country and poses no threat to any country".
The Los Angeles Times said on Saturday a US Defence Department study outlined a contingency plan to use nuclear weapons against at least seven countries - China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria.
It quoted the report as saying the Pentagon should be ready to use nuclear weapons in a war between China and Taiwan, or in an attack by North Korea on South Korea, among other scenarios.
Mr Sun said former US president Mr Bill Clinton had reached an agreement with Chinese President Mr Jiang Zemin in 1998 not to target each other's country with nuclear arms.
"China has always upheld that all nuclear weapons should be comprehensively banned and completely destroyed, and that nuclear countries should pledge unconditionally not to use nuclear weapons first, and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear countries or regions," Mr Sun said.
The Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov today also demanded clarification of reports of contingency plans to use nuclear weapons against seven countries, including Russia, in case of threat.
"We hope ... there will be a statement at a higher level offering clarification and reassuring the international community," Mr Ivanov said.
"If it turns out to be true, this can only provoke regret and concern," he added.