Talking to mediapersons here today, the Chinese Ambassador said that ``China being a socialist country does not believe in posing threat to any neighbouring nations, let alone India.'' He said that it was a wrong impression to think that China was a major security threat. ``The slogan Hindi-Chini bhai bhai is still very popular with the people of China,'' he said.

Without naming the Defence Minister George Fernandes, Gang asked the ``press not to believe in such accusations, as it would hurt feelings of the peoples of both the nations.''

On the question why China had to react so sharply on the recent nuclear tests by India, when China conducted several tests earlier, Gang said: ``The five nuclear power states would not like the idea of a fresh nuclear arms race in the post-Cold War scenario.''

Dismissing suggestions that ``this is discriminatory against India,'' he said:``The five nuclear powers want to reduce the chances of the nuclear proliferation. And as one of the nuclear powers, we cannot support India's nuclear tests.''

He said when China decided to begin its experiments with ``the nuclear weapons in the 60s, it was done in a different political and historical background. We had to conduct our tests to ward off the nuclear blackmail of other nations.''

``But the recent Indian tests were carried out when the entire humanity wanted to see a nuclear weapon-free world,'' he said, adding that ``not China alone, but the entire peace-loving world criticised the India's tests.''

Saying that India should sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Gang said: ``India should stop further development of nuclear arms, which includes deployment of nuclear missiles, as the UN Security Council demanded.'' Gang said China would like ``India to consider the Security Council's demands very seriously.''

On the issue of Sino-Indian ties, Gang said: ``We have improved ourrelations considerably over the years despite our differences and it would be for the governments of both the nations to make serious efforts to narrow down these differences.''

When asked if China subscribes to the view of a third party intervention in Kashmir, the Chinese ambassador said: ``The old dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir should resolved peacefully and through bilateral talks.''

On the issue if Beijing wants to see itself ``as a regional policeman,'' as the US President Bill Clinton said during his recent visit to China, Gang said: ``I cannot speak for the US President, but his country would like its neighbours in South-East Asia to work for peace, harmony and economic development.''