OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:59 AM PT — Friday, February 1, 2019
China is reportedly opposed to the possible U.S. suspension of a nuclear treaty with Russia, because it would chip away at China’s advantage in developing missiles.
President Trump is reportedly considering including China in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty to restrict its missile arsenal as a new congressional study shows China has benefited from the INF by being free to deploy hundreds of missiles with no deterrent from Russia or the U.S.
The U.S. and Russia have restricted their development of medium-range missiles under the accord for 30-years, but China was not included.
The report’s release comes after China unveiled its newest intermediate-range-missiles earlier in January.
U.S. Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson, left, and Director General of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Fu Cong attend a panel discussion after a Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) conference in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) conference in Beijing consists of five permanent members (P5) China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (Thomas Peter/Pool Photo via AP)
“We are operating in an environment where some states are violating arms control and non-proliferation obligations and developing new and destabilizing weapons systems,” stated Andrea Thompson, U.S. Under Secretary of Arms Control and International Security.
The future of the treaty is still unknown as President Trump pushes for China to come under its authority, and continues to claim Russia has long flouted the rules.
