China hopes US, Russia will return to INF Treaty

Munich, February 17

China hopes the US and Russia will return to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a senior Chinese official has said here.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks on Saturday after delivering a keynote speech at the 55^th Munich Security Conference, Xinhua reported.

Yang said that China firmly advocates maintaining global strategic stability.

The unilateral declaration by the US to withdraw from the INF Treaty has serious consequences, and has drawn widespread concern from the international community, he said.

China hopes the US and Russia can get back to the INF Treaty and is opposed to the multilateralisation of the treaty, Yang said. — IANS