CHINA: YELTSIN LASHES OUT AT CLINTON OVER CHECHNYA

(9 Dec 1999) English/Nat Having won Chinese support for Russia’s military campaign in Chechnya, Boris Yeltsin has lashed out at U-S President Bill Clinton, reminding him Russia still has a nuclear arsenal. At a meeting with Li Peng, China’s legislative chairman and the communist government’s most hard-line leader, the Russian president scorned Washington for trying to dictate how the world should behave. In Moscow however, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stressed there had been no cooling of relations between his country and the U-S. It was a stunning message from a world leader known for his often angry outbursts. The Russian President told reporters he wanted them to send a message to President Clinton who has sharply criticised Moscow over its military campaign in Chechnya. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) “(US President Bill) Clinton allowed himself to pressure Russia.“ SUPER CAPTION: Boris Yeltsin, Russian President Y