41.   He played a major role in saving the international treaty banning nuclear test explosions by pushing it through the U.N. General Assembly last year over strong objections from India.

42.   He was involved in the test explosions.

43.   If the United States resumes test explosions, nations like China, Russia, India and Pakistan could be expected to follow suit, he said.

44.   In a breakthrough deal with U.S. negotiators, China has agreed to support a historic global ban on nuclear test explosions, Western diplomats said.

45.   In July, China conducted a nuclear test explosion and then declared it would join a moratorium on nuclear testing.

46.   In the past, the conference has negotiated bans on chemical weapons and nuclear test explosions.

47.   In Tokyo, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said Japan will halt all new economic aid and loans to Pakistan because of its five nuclear test explosions Thursday.

48.   India also opposed the treaty to ban nuclear test explosions, which was approved in September, because it did not require states holding nuclear weapons to dismantle them.

49.   India and neighbor and rival Pakistan both set off underground nuclear test explosions in May and declared themselves nuclear weapons powers.

50.   India came under increasing world pressure Thursday to back down from threats to block a treaty that would ban nuclear test explosions forever.