China says willing to join arms treaty if US reduces its nuclear arsenal

Record ID: 1561292

  • Title: China says willing to join arms treaty if US reduces its nuclear arsenal
  • Date: 8th July 2020
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 8, 2020) (REUTERS) SENIOR CHINESE DIPLOMAT AND HEAD OF ARMS CONTROL DEPARTMENT AT CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, FU CONG, SEATED FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD, ARMS CONTROL DEPARTMENT, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, FU CONG, SAYING: "And I can assure you that if the U.S. says that they are ready to come down to the Chinese level, China would be happy to participate the next day. But actually we know that that's not going to happen. We know the U.S. policy. And we are more realistic frankly speaking." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD, ARMS CONTROL DEPARTMENT, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, FU CONG, SAYING: "So the priority for us let me say once again is that the U.S. and Russia agree to extend the new START ((Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) treaty. And on that basis, we hope the U.S. and the Russian Federation will continue to reduce their nuclear arsenals. So that China will participate when their nuclear arsenals come down to a level comparable to the level of Chinese nuclear warheads." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 22nd July 2020 04:52
  • Keywords: Beijing China PLA arms arms treaty arsenal defence defense nuclear treaty nuclear weapons
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CLY6GQV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: If the United States were willing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to China's level, China would "be happy to" participate in trilateral arms control negotiation with the U.S and Russia, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday (July 8).
    The U.S. has repeatedly called for China to join in trilateral negotiations to extend a flagship nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia that is due to expire in February next year.
    Fu Cong, head of arms control department of Chinese foreign ministry, reiterated to reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that China has no interest in joining the trilateral negotiation.
    (Production: Martin Pollard, Wang Shubing)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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