The US accused Russia of non-compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in order to get a free hand in developing weapons, Director General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Arms Control Fu Cong said at a special briefing on Tuesday, APA reports citing TASS.
"When they leave the Treaty, announce plans to conduct tests before the end of the month and talk about deploying missiles, others get the impression that the US was well prepared for the withdrawal," he added.
"This is why from our standpoint, all the talk about Russia violating the Treaty and China having no obligations under it is just an excuse for pulling out of the Treaty. The true goal of the United States’ withdrawal is to get a free hand in developing its missile capabilities," the senior Chinese diplomat pointed out.
"Not only the US accuses Russia of non-compliance, but Russia responds in kind. This is how we see the situation but I would like to refrain from commenting on the details of these accusations. However, I can say that in my opinion, there is nothing strange when two parties to a treaty have different views and different understanding of each other’s complaints. Holding dialogue and talks would be the right way to resolve the issue, not withdrawing from the treaty," Fu Cong continued.
According to him, Washington’s allegations that China is not a party to the INF Treaty and develops nuclear weapons are groundless. He pointed out that 80% of China’s nuclear potential consisted of intermediate-range missiles. "It means only one thing: these missiles cannot reach the US mainland. So the United States should be less concerned. It means, all this was only an excuse," Fu Cong explained.
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