TOKYO (AP) -- World reaction was tepid, critical or simply silent to President Bush's announcement that the United States would build a shield against ballistic missile attacks.
Australia's government said it would allow the United States to use joint military bases in Australia for the planned missile shield.
But allies Britain and Canada issued statements Tuesday that stopped short of endorsing the plan, while Sweden, Germany and others expressed deep concern, fearing the plan could jeopardize global security.
"The establishment of the missile defense system runs the risk of halting and reversing multilateral progress toward the elimination of nuclear weapons," New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff and Disarmament Minister Matt Robson said in a joint statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to respond later Wednesday. China and North Korea remained silent, but were expected to react harshly.
Moving to calm concern, Bush called South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Secretary of State Colin Powell talked to Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka. The administration planned to send a delegation to Asia this month, led by Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state.
China has campaigned tenaciously against the missile shield, which it sees as aimed at frustrating its own nuclear deterrent. Beijing has also reacted strongly to speculation that the shield could be extended beyond the United States to cover Japan and Taiwan.
"The Chinese will probably try to build up their nuclear strike force, which will not be a stabilizing thing in this part of the world," said C.P. Chung, a China expert at Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.
China considers Taiwan a wayward province that should be reunited with the mainland, and opposes any attempt to strengthen the island's defenses.
With the diplomatic climate between China and the United States already tense following a spy plane standoff, many in the region were reluctant to comment Wednesday.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry declined comment on an "internal issue" of the United States. Japan's prime minister also said it would refrain from immediate comment.
Communist North Korea was expected to come out strongly against the plan, perhaps using the issue as leverage in talks with Washington and Seoul, aimed at unifying the divided peninsula.
South Korea made limited comment. In a 15-minute telephone call with Bush, President Kim praised contacts with Asian nations as "desirable," a spokesman for Kim said.
"I hope that through this process, the U.S. will contribute to peace and stability in the world," the spokesman, Park Joon-young, quoted Kim as telling Bush.
Australia was the most positive, saying that it shared U.S. concerns over potential missile threats from some governments.
A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would allow the use of joint military bases such as the Pine Gap facility in central Australia for missile shield communications.
