Pakistan Says Opposes Nuclear, Missile Arms Race
"We are against any action that reinitiates a nuclear and missile race," military ruler Pervez Musharraf was quoted as saying by the official APP news agency.
The criticism from Musharraf contrasted with the support for the controversial U.S. plans shown by arch-rival India a day earlier during a visit to New Delhi by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Reuters reported.
U.S. President George W. Bush has sent envoys around the world to drum up support for the scheme, which he says would eliminate the risk of missile attacks by "rogue states" such as North Korea and Iraq.
China, a traditional ally of Pakistan, is deeply suspicious that the U.S. plan for a missile shield would neutralize its nuclear force. APP said the comment by Musharraf was in response to a question by a Chinese journalist.
Musharraf has faced a difficult balancing act, with ties to China and the United States both considered vital to the heavily indebted nation.
The two leaders had not answered a question on the new U.S. proposals and growing strains in U.S.-Chinese relations at a joint news conference on Friday evening following Zhu's arrival for a four-day official visit.
Pakistan is believed to have received key nuclear and missile technology from China in the past -- although diplomats say there is no indication of transfers of sensitive information in recent years. China and India also fought a war in 1962.
Pakistan has had close ties with the United States in the past, but there have been differences in recent years and there is deepening concern in Islamabad over the warmth in U.S.-Indian relations.
That was underlined by praise on Friday from Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for Bush's vision of nuclear disarmament. While India stopped short of openly endorsing the missile shield program, Armitage emerged from his talks saying he was delighted.