"China was pressing hard for the inclusion of key words in the joint statement which would have shifted the entire blame on India and save Beijing's ally, Pakistan," analysts told PTI here while commenting on the `hegemonistic' Sino-US joint statement on South Asia issued after the presidential summit between Jiang Zemin and Bill Clinton here.

Senior Chinese leaders including Jiang had blamed India for triggering a nuclear arms race in South Asia and described Pakistan's nuclear tests as an act in response to India's threats.

Diplomatic sources had confirmed on Friday that last minute jockeying was on between Beijing and Washington on the language and tone of the joint statement.

"It seems, Chinese hawks did not fully succeed in getting what they wanted since Washington did notwant to completely isolate India on this issue considering the fact that it needed somebody in the region to checkmate Beijing's power projection in Asia," a source commented.

India has already categorically rejected the Sino-US statement on South Asia."This approach reflects the hegemonistic mentality of a bygone era in international relations and is completely unacceptable and out of place in the present day world," India said on Saturday.

Though China and the United States did want to publicly condemn the recent nuclear tests which damaged the credibility of the exclusive nuclear club, their purpose of issuing a joint statement on South Asia was entirely different, analysts said. "While Washington was incensed by India's puncturing of president Clinton's agenda of global nuclear non-proliferation, Beijing wanted to show off to New Delhi the new equation in the form of a strategic alliance between the world's lone surviving super power and the only regional power in Asia", they said.

Further, Chinahopes that by issuing a public condemnation here in Beijing, it can `nail' India for its `irresponsible' behaviour by writing to Clinton blaming China to justify its own nuclear tests.

China and the United States condemned nuclear tests by India and Pakistan and declared the blasts would not win them membership in the exclusive nuclear club consisting of the United States, China, Russia, France and Great Britain.

"Notwithstanding their recent nuclear tests, India and Pakistan do not have the status of nuclear weapons states in accordance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty," the joint statement said.