China, Russia and US – along with UK and France – signed a rare joint statement committing to reducing the spread of nukes and never using them in war
Beijing has defended plans to expand its nuclear stockpile in wake of statement
Foreign ministry said Beijing will only build enough nukes to guarantee security
China said it is Russia and US who should reduce their own nuclear stockpiles
China has vowed to continue ‘modernising’ its nuclear arsenal while urging the US and Russia to reduce theirs, just a day after all three nations signed a pledge to stop the spread of nukes.
Fu Cong, director of arms control at China’s foreign ministry, defended Beijing’s nuclear ambitions in the wake of the statement – insisting China will only build nukes ‘to maintain capabilities at the minimum level required for national security’.
That is despite satellite images showing China is in the midst of the largest expansion of its nuclear forces in history, with Washington suggesting its stockpile of warheads could more than triple to 1,000 within the next decade.
‘The US and Russia still possess 90 percent of the nuclear warheads on Earth,’ Fu said, calling on both countries to ‘reduce their nuclear arsenals in an irreversible and legally binding manner.’
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10367211/China-says-Russia-reduce-nuclear-weapon-stockpiles.html
h/t Coastie Patriot