California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, star of the "Terminator" movies, gave British Prime Minister Tony Blair an unusual career tip on Monday, suggesting he could play "Terminator 4" when he leaves office.

Schwarzenegger, who had careers as a bodybuilding champion and Hollywood star before becoming a politician, was asked at a news conference with Blair if he had any suggestions for what the prime minister should do when he steps down.

Blair, who has led his Labour Party to an unprecedented three consecutive election victories, has said he will not stand for a fourth term and party members believe he could go as early as next year.

"Maybe he should be the head of the UN (United Nations), maybe something that is a step up, who knows what it is, because it's a big job that he has right now and I think whatever job he wants he will get, because he has such a great success rate at home and he has done such a remarkable job I think," Schwarzenegger said.

"If he needs a job and wants a job in Hollywood, I'll get him to play 'Terminator 4.' Anything's available," he said, laughing.

"Now that is definitely the best offer I've had. Actually, the sad thing is, it's the only offer I've had," joked Blair, who is on a five-day visit to the United States.

Schwarzenegger's ringing endorsement would have been welcome relief for Blair, who has faced a barrage of criticism at home, first for his strong support of US President George W. Bush during the Iraq War and more recently over allegations of sleaze and mismanagement in his government.

Britain and California formed a trans-Atlantic partnership on Monday to address global warming, bypassing the Bush administration to explore ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean-burning fuels.

Blair and Schwarzenegger on Monday announced the pact against the backdrop of an oil tanker at a BP terminal in the port of Long Beach.

"We see that there is not great leadership from the federal government when it comes to protecting the environment," Schwarzenegger said. "We know there is global warming, so we should stop it."

Addressing business leaders during an earlier panel discussion, Blair called global warming "long term, the single biggest issue we face."

Environmental groups questioned the value of the alliance, calling it more symbolism than substance.

The agreement calls for collaboration on research into cleaner-burning fuels and technologies, and looking into the possibility of setting up a system whereby polluters could buy and sell the right to emit greenhouse gases. The idea is to use market forces and market incentives to curb pollution.

California is looking to cut carbon dioxide a byproduct of coal, oil and gasoline combustion and other heat-trapping gases that scientists say are warming the planet. President Bush has rejected the idea of ordering such cuts.

"This is an agreement to share ideas and information. It is not a treaty," said Adam Mendelsohn, Schwarzenegger's communications director. "Right now, all we are doing is talking about sharing ideas."

For the election-bound Schwarzenegger, the agreement comes at a time when he has been attempting to distance himself from Bush as the president's popularity has sagged.

His aides disputed the agreement was an attempt to sidestep the White House. In a conference call with reporters, state Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams said the agency is in "constant contact" with federal regulators, but added that there was no discussion with Washington about Monday's agreement, which involves only voluntary actions.

Source: China Daily