CHINA’s bitter row with the US over nuclear arms intensified after it refused to discuss disarmament plans with their rivals or Russia.
Beijing claimed it would not take part in the negotiations surrounding the limiting of nuclear arms between the three countries. US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had talked about new proposals to include China within a huge deal. That plan would see the world’s top three atomic powers all agree to limitations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China’s nuclear forces were already at the “lowest level” to meets its country’s needs.
He argued that China should not be compared to its fellow nations.
Mr Geng added: “China opposes any country talking out of turn about China on the issue of arms control, and will not take part in any trilateral negotiations on a nuclear disarmament agreement.”
Mr Geng told reporters that China has advocated the complete and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.
But he said that countries with bigger nuclear arsenals have a responsibility when it comes to disarmament.
Last week Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu accused Trump and other western nations of trying to start an arms race, warning that the US’ world dominance was coming to an end.
He claimed the US was unable to accept the “end of the unipolar world order” in which it has been the dominant world power since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Mr Shoigu told Russian state news agency Tass diplomatic mechanisms crucial for non-proliferation, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA) for Iran’s nuclear program brokered by Mr Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, were increasingly being undermined.