MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2020) China considers the United States' pursuit to engage Beijing in trilateral US-China-Russia arms control talks as an attempt by Washington to overshadow its pursuit of nuclear hegemony, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told Sputnik in an interview.
"The US has repeatedly made proposals on arms control for China, Russia and the US and promoted the 'China factor' to distract international attention, pursuing to justify its withdrawal from the US-Russian New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty [New START] and pursuing 'self-liberation' and achievement of absolute strategic advantage. China and Russia see this very clearly," Zhang said.
The Chinese ambassador reiterated Beijing's consistent opposition to partaking in US-proposed trilateral nuclear talks, specifying, however, that it did not amount to a boycott of the global disarmament campaign.
"China's refusal to participate in trilateral arms control negotiations does not mean that China refuses to participate in international nuclear disarmament efforts," the diplomat said.
