China hits back at US, Japan over nuclear transparency call
- Beijing says Washington is the biggest threat to global stability and should make the first move by reducing its stockpile
- Tokyo should also adopt a more responsible approach on nuclear policy, foreign ministry says
China hit out at the United States and Japan on Friday after the two nations sounded alarm over China’s growing nuclear capabilities.
“Noting the People’s Republic of China’s ongoing increase in its nuclear capabilities, Japan and the United States request [China] to contribute to arrangements that reduce nuclear risks, increase transparency, and advance nuclear disarmament,” the US and Japan said.
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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the US was the bigger threat.
“As we all know, it is the US that is the biggest threat to global stability with the world’s biggest and most advanced nuclear stockpile,” Zhao said, adding that the US had deployed missile defence systems around the world.
“Despite possessing the world’s largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal, the US is still investing trillions of dollars to upgrade its ‘nuclear triad’, developing low-yield nuclear weapons and lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons.”
