Friday, April 1 2005 20:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: China today (Apr 1, 2005) refused to budge from its stand not to recognise the nuclear status of India and Pakistan but refuted any link with Islamabad's nuclear weapons programme.

"As for nuclear weapons states in South Asia, I think the international community has already reached a consensus on this matter," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told reporters when asked whether Beijing will recognise India and Pakistan as nuclear powers after they conducted underground tests in 1998.

He did not elaborate further, indicating that China, which took the lead in passing a UN Security Council resolution in condemning the nuclear tests in South Asia in 1998, has not relented on the issue.

Asked whether the imminent sale of F-16s and other American weaponry to Pakistan would impact on Chinese sales of arms to its 'all weather' ally, Wu stressed that China had no link with the Pakistani nuclear weapons programme.

"China and Pakistan have no cooperation on nuclear weapons," he said at a press conference ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit to Pakistan from April 5.

He pointed out that China has always supported non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

"We are doing so and we will continue to do so. We will take up concrete measures and will not do any thing against our promise," he said.

"As to the information you mentioned that A Q Khan leaked some nuclear technology to certain countries, I only read some reports. I have no knowledge about the specific information," he said in response to a question.