A senior US official arrives in Beijing today to explain President Bush's controversial antimissile shield plan to Chinese leaders.
China is one of the strongest opponents of the Missile Defence System (MDS). The US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr James Kelly, has the task of trying to win China's support for the proposal which the Americans claim is designed to block missile attacks on the US by so-called "rogue states", such as North Korea and Iraq.
Senior US delegations have visited countries all over the world, including Russia and South Korea, in the last week seeking support for the defence plan.
China's opposition to the missile shield proposal is based on the fear that it could erode the effectiveness of China's nuclear arsenal.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Ms Zhang Qiyue, told reporters in Pakistan on Saturday, where the Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, is on an official visit, that many nations visited by US envoys shared China's scepticism about the plan.
"I believe that everywhere the delegations go there are many questions raised and, as far as I can see, there are more questions than answers," she said.
The Pakistani military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, yesterday also expressed his opposition to the missile shield.
India praised Mr Bush's vision of nuclear disarmament but stopped short of endorsing the missile shield programme during a visit to New Delhi by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Mr Richard Armitage.
In Australia, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, said he believed the US missile defence system would go ahead with broad international support, despite misgivings expressed by a number of nations, including Russia, China, Germany and France.
After meeting Mr Kelly he said: "The more people understand what is being talked about here, the more they think it makes sense."
Mr Kelly is also expected to raise the issue of Taiwan and the return of the stranded US spy plane during what will be his first trip to Asia in his new job. China is refusing to allow the US EP 3 spy plane to leave Hainan Island where it has been since April 1st.
On his appointment he described a key US challenge as handling contradictions in a China which he said embraced globalism while encouraging intense nationalism.