…As China pushes nuke disarmament

As the country with the world’s largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal, the United States should earnestly fulfill its special duties on nuclear disarmament, respond to Russia’s call for extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, and further cut its large nuclear arsenal.

BEIJING, China (Xinhua) — China on Wednesday urged the United States (US) to earnestly fulfill its special duties on nuclear disarmament and further cut its large nuclear arsenal.

“As the country with the world’s largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal, the United States should earnestly fulfill its special duties on nuclear disarmament, respond to Russia’s call for extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, and further cut its large nuclear arsenal, so as to create conditions for other nuclear countries to join the multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press briefing.

Hua made the remarks in response to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s remarks at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that delivery systems have evolved beyond the missiles, bombers and submarines, and other parties such as China needed to be brought in to a wider arms control discussion.

Reiterating China’s position of having no intention to enter into a negotiation of a so-called China-US-Russia trilateral arms control deal, Hua said that China firmly opposes the US using China as an excuse to evade and shift its nuclear disarmament responsibilities.

She called on the US to stop its negative move of undermining global strategic balance and stability, stop hyping competition and confrontation among large countries, immediately return to the right track of multilateralism, and earnestly safeguard the international order based on international law as well as the authority and effectiveness of the current arms control and non-proliferation legal system.

“China has always been committed to safeguarding international arms control and the non-proliferation system, advancing the process of international arms control and disarmament, and safeguarding global strategic balance and stability,” she said.

China is willing to work with all parties to continue to strengthen communication and coordination and carry out discussions on issues concerning global strategic stability, so as to make positive contributions to global peace and security, Hua added.