Kadirgamar, who arrived here today as a guest of Tang on a four-day "working visit", will hold high-level talks with the Chinese side on bilateral issues. He is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

"The Chinese side will use this opportunity to try and brainwash the Sri Lankan side on the new threat posed by India after the recent `provocative' nuclear tests," sources said. "While the visit was planned earlier, it comes at a time when the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister is reported to have said that Colombo is not opposed to New Delhi becoming a nuclear power," they noted.

Kadirgamar has also reportedly criticised the West for imposing punitive sanctions on India for conducting nuclear tests.

Earlier, in a statement on May 14, the Chinese foreign ministryhad stated that India's nuclear tests "will entail serious consequences to the peace and stability in South Asia and the world at large." The Sri Lankan foreign minister's visit comes soon after the "routine" visit to Beijing by Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad on Monday last.