CHINA VOWS TO 'BURY' NAVY IF IT COMES NEAR.

Byline: Seth Faison The New York Times

China lashed out at the United States on Thursday, accusing Congress and the White House of meddling in Taiwan, and warning that the People's Liberation Army would "bury" American naval forces now in the Pacific if they came too close to China's coastline.

With two American naval groups now in the western Pacific, one near Taiwan and the other approaching, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper in Hong Kong asserted that, should a clash occur, China's numerical advantage in planes and ships would easily overwhelm American technological superiority.

Taiwan is preparing for its first direct presidential election Saturday, and China seemed to be cranking out a final round of vitriol, almost as though it was looking for places to lay blame for the widely expected victory by President Lee Teng-hui.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry attacked Congress for rallying to Taiwan's side and criticized the White House for approving the sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Taiwan, sternly repeating that Taiwan represents an "internal affair" of China.

But there was nothing standard about the military warning printed Thursday in Wen Wei Po, a Beijing-controlled Hong Kong newspaper often used to float mainland opinion.

"With a concentrated fire of guided missiles and artillery, the People's Liberation Army can bury an enemy intruder in a sea of fire," the newspaper said in unusually graphic language. "Don't forget that the Taiwan Strait is just offshore (of) China and within the scope of naval and air war-making operations."

Although two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups have been dispatched to the western Pacific near Taiwan, the Americans have not said whether they plan to pass through the international waters of the strait separating Taiwan from China's Fujian province.

Military exercises held by China last week, Wen Wei Po said, showed that its army could "deal a blow to the head" of American forces if they venture through the strait.

Chinese leaders may have been irked by Defense Secretary William Perry's comment earlier this week that "America has the best damned Navy in the world" and could pass through the Taiwan Strait if it wanted. But Thursday's outburst may simply be one part of China's propaganda offensive to show its own people that it is ready for war, if necessary, to enforce its claim to Taiwan.

China's evening television news broadcast Wednesday showed extensive footage of the military exercises conducted over the past week, with missile launches and Chinese aircraft unleashing long strings of bombs to fall on target ships. A running commentary praised the patriotism and invincibility of the armed forces, while Thursday's Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of China's military, described the exercises as unprecedented in their scale and technical complexity.

As if to try to counter any doubts about China's willingness to invade Taiwan, Wen Wei Po reported Wednesday that Chinese forces would need less than six hours to mount a successful invasion.