DATE=4/13/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-248006 TITLE=CHINA / INDIA TEST (L-ONLY) BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO DATELINE=BEIJING CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: CHINA SAYS IT REGRETS INDIA'S RECENT TEST OF A BALLISTIC MISSILE THAT EXPERTS SAY IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING A NUCLEAR WARHEAD. AS V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS FROM BEIJING, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT IS WORRIED THAT THERE WILL BE AN ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA. TEXT: WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON INDIA'S MISSILE TEST ON SUNDAY, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SUN YUXI -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER -- USED MILD LANGUAGE TO EXPRESS ITS DISPLEASURE. // SUN INTERPRETER ACT // THE CHINESE SIDE HEREBY EXPRESSES REGRET AND CONCERN OVER THIS. // END ACT // HE CALLED ON INDIA TO CEASE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-CAPABLE MISSILES AND ADDED THAT CHINA'S MAIN CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH THE BALANCE OF ARMS BETWEEN INDIA AND ITS RIVAL, PAKISTAN. // SUN INTERPRETER ACT // WE DO NOT WISH TO SEE A MISSILE RACE IN SOUTH ASIA. // END ACT // THE MEDIUM-RANGE MISSILE THAT INDIA TEST-FIRED ON SUNDAY CAN HIT TARGETS UP TO TWO THOUSAND KILOMETERS AWAY -- GIVING IT THE CAPABILITY TO REACH PAKISTANI AND CHINESE TERRITORY. MR. SUN SAID CHINA VIEWS THE IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS WITH INDIA AS VERY IMPORTANT AND DID NOT SAY THAT BEIJING VIEWS THE INDIAN MISSILE TEST AS A MENACE. // SUN INTERPRETER ACT // AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF THE REMARK BY THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER THAT THIS TEST IS NOT DIRECTED AT ANY COUNTRY. // END ACT // RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO ASIAN GIANTS, CHINA AND INDIA, HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH DIFFICULTIES. FIRST OF ALL, CHINA HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF SELLING MISSILES TO ITS CLOSE FRIEND, PAKISTAN. LAST YEAR, INDIAN OFFICIALS SAID CHINA POSES A SERIOUS MILITARY THREAT TO INDIA. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, INDIA CONDUCTED SEVERAL UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TESTS -- WHICH CHINA STRONGLY CONDEMNED. (SIGNED) NEB/HO/GC/FC 13-Apr-99 9:22 AM EDT (1322 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .