China cautions US against withdrawing from INF Treaty

Beijing, Oct 22: The US led by President Donald Trump is nearing withdrawal of yet another international agreement and China on Monday, October 22, expressed his objection over the same.

According to a report in China Global Television Network (CGTN), the country's foreign ministry on Monday opposed Washington's move of withdrawing from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, calling on the latter to "look before leaping".

Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying articulated Beijing's stand after Trump accused Russia of not honouring the 1987 treaty and threatened to withdraw from it.

Hua said the treaty is important and plays a crucial role in easing international tensions by keeping a check on nuclear race and ensuring global security. He said if the US unilaterally pulls out of the agreement, it will lead to several negative consequences. She also hoped that the US would be able to resolve the issues through negotiations, the CGTN report added.

The INF Treaty was signed by the then US president Ronald Reagan and former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to put a stop to proliferation of both nuclear and conventional weapons.

In May, the US pulled out of the nuclear agreement with Iran which was made by the international community with the West Asian nation during the time of his predecessor Barack Obama alleging that Tehran was taking undue advantage of it. The USA's decision has left a serious question mark over peace in West Asia since Iran has also taken a hard stance since the US dumped the pact.