"I don't think this is a possibility," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Meanwhile, President Jiang Zemin had discussed a global campaign against terrorism with French President Jacques Chirac for the second time this week.

The two leaders spoke by telephone on Thursday, two days after Mr. Jiang discussed last week's attacks in separate calls with Mr. Chirac, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The two sides again exchanged opinions on counter-terrorism and protecting world peace," Xinhua said.

However, China and France share the view, as does Russia, that any decision on retaliation for the terrorist strikes should involve the United Nations Security Council.

Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said on Thursday that Beijing was willing to help the United States in its war against terrorism.

Mr. Tang met US Vice-President Dick Cheney at the White House and said later that China sent its condolences for the attacks.

"I've also made clear our desire and our readiness to further deepen our co-operation with the US, including over anti-terrorism," he said.

Mr. Tang later met the children of two Chinese victims, Zheng Yuguang and Yang Shuyin, who were passengers on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon.

Mr. Tang expressed "the anger that the leadership, the Chinese Government and Chinese people have been feeling about the terrorist attacks in Washington, DC, and New York".

"The Chinese Government and the Chinese people's hearts go out to you and your parents," Mr. Tang said at a hotel in Washington where he met the victims' relatives, Zheng Shidong and Zheng Rui, and her husband, Wan Li.

(China Daily 09/23/2001)