China hits out at Washington’s missile plans and calls for cuts to US and Russian nuclear arsenals
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi also calls for fresh diplomatic engagement over Iran’s nuclear weapons and criticises US ‘bullying’ of Tehran
- Beijing has previously threatened countermeasures if the US deploys ballistic missiles in Asia
China has criticised the United States over plans to deploy missiles and defensive systems in neighbouring countries and called for cuts to the American and Russian nuclear arsenals.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments in an address to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament in which he also called for fresh efforts to advance nuclear talks with Iran and criticised Washington’s “unilateral bullying”.
Wang was speaking days after the Biden administration lifted some of its sanctions on Iran before a new round of talks in Vienna on Saturday.
“The comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue is an important multilateral diplomatic achievement endorsed by the UN Security Council in its resolutions and is a key pillar of international nuclear non-proliferation and peace and stability in the Middle East,” Wang said, according to a transcript published by the Chinese foreign ministry.
