The New York Times reported yesterday that secret design information was stolen during the 1980s but was not uncovered until 1995.

Beijing's nuclear weapons designs were about a generation behind those of the US until the mid 1990s, when Chinese nuclear test bombs began to show similarities to Washington's most advanced miniature warhead, the paper had reported. By 1996, government investigators had identified an American scientist at a Los Alamos laboratory as their suspect.

Alleging that similar reports had appeared in the US media from time to time, Tang told media persons inreply to a question, ``This demonstrates that there are always some people who want to obstruct the normal Sino-US trade relations and the normal export of US high-tech products to China.'' He stressed that ``such activities by some people'' were not in the interests of both the countries.

Commenting on Sino-US relations, Tang expressed confidence in building a 21st century-oriented ``constructive strategic partnership'' with Washington based on equality and mutual respect.

He noted that Chinese premier Zhu Rongji would be paying an official visit to the US next month at the invitation of President Bill Clinton.``This will provide another opportunity for improving and further developing Sino-US relations.''

He pointed out that the current year marked the 20th anniversary of the normalisation of Sino-US diplomatic relations and expressed Beijing's willingness to bring bilateral ties to a ``sound and stable'' level.However, Tang said, there had emerged some ``anti-China'' voices within the US recently,which, he claimed, was ``nothing strange.''

``There are always some people who do not want to see Sino-US relations develop and get improved, and they have always wanted to do anything to disturb the development of such relations,'' Tang said, adding such attempts would prove futile. He, however, made it clear that the Taiwan issue remained the ``most important and most sensitive'' in Sino-US relations and urged ``greatest attention'' from both sides.

Commenting on a possible US support to an ``anti-China draft resolution on rights'' at the UNHCR, Tang warned, ``If somebody attempts to table an anti-China draft, I think the outcome will not be different from the previous seven times,'' he said.

Clinton fenced labs long back: White House

WASHINGTON: US President Bill Clinton ordered tightened security at US nuclear laboratories after receiving reports that China may have stolen nuclear secrets in the 1980s, US officials said today.

Commenting on a story in The New York Times, the officials,denied one aspect of the report -- that the Clinton White House tried to downplay the espionage because it clashed with efforts to improve ties with Beijing.``Once he learned of it he increased security at the labs. It was something that happened long time before,'' the official said. ``He acted quickly, but you don't draw attention to something like that.''