China and Russia take aim at US in rare Security Council meeting over missile ambitions
- Beijing’s envoy says Washington seeks absolute military superiority
- American representative hits back, saying China wants to continue its ‘unabashed’ arms build-up
China and Russia traded accusations with the United States at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, calling each other a threat to international peace and security.
The argument erupted at a meeting of the 15-member council requested by Beijing and Moscow to discuss “statements by US officials on their plans to develop and deploy medium-range missiles”.
The meeting – a rare request – follows Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty this month.
The US withdrew, accusing Russia of breaking the treaty by developing its nuclear-capable SSC-8 missiles, which have an estimated range of 2,600km (1,600 miles). The US also said China had to show how it was cutting its arsenals.
But at the meeting on Thursday, Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said that in abandoning the treaty the US was neglecting its international obligations.
“It is unacceptable to use China as an excuse for withdrawing the treaty. China rejects the baseless accusations by the US,” Zhang said.