"The hard-won friendship between the two nationsshould be cherished, not abused," the state-run 'China Daily' said in aneditorial criticising the recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) Annual Report 2000which said all major Indian cities were within the range of Chinese missiles.

"The Indian defence ministry's report last week isnothing more than old tricks. Such a move is against the positive development ofrelations between the two countries," it said.

"After experiencing many ups and downs, both Chinaand India have realised that a friendly China-India relationship is good forboth sides," the editorial said while recalling the near freeze in Sino-Indianrelations following India's nuclear tests in may, 1998.

"It is nothing new that India should use theexcuse of a fabricated 'China threat' to expand its military might. Indiaastonished the world in may 1998 when it conducted five nuclear tests on thegrounds that it had to counter a China threat," the paper said.

"As is known to all, it was completely out ofself-defence considerations that China developed its nuclear weapons. China hasalready promised that it will never be the first one to use nuclearweapons," it said while commenting on defence minister Jaswant Singh'sstatement that the government has approved a plan to develop long-range missiles.

The 'China Daily' recalled that president K.R. Narayananas well as external affairs minister Jaswant Singh have claimed that India and Chinashould not threaten each other.

"But they are now betrayed by the defenceministry's report," China's lone national English-language newspaper saidadding "the latest edition of the 'China threat' theory in the report makesIndia's attitude to China look equivocal".

It said since 1999, India and China have "managedto improve their previously strained ties" and that chairman of the NationalPeople's Congress (NPC), Li Peng visited India in January this year whilepresident K.R. Narayanan visited China last year.

"The two countries also made a substantialbreakthrough earlier last year in negotiations on boundary problems, whichhelped guarantee peace and tranquility in the border area" it said.

The MoD report has also been criticised by China'sleading official newspaper, the 'People's Daily' last week.

The mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC)said that in the year 1998, the then defence minister George Fernandes talkedabout 'China threat' and then India conducted five nuclear tests which shook thewhole world.

"China does not think this as a wise andresponsible move," the 'People's Daily' on-line edition said in an articleon the MoD report.

It said after 1998, Sino-Indian relations have beendeveloping in a good direction, thanks to the joint efforts made by leaders ofthe sides.

"Leaders of both countries have realised thatcontinuous development and improvement in Sino-Indian relations is in the basicinterest of the peoples of both countries," the paper said while urging NewDelhi not to damage bilateral ties.