China urges US to 'think thrice' before exiting landmark nuclear arms pact

Reuters - China on Monday (October 22) urged the U.S. to "think thrice before acting", after President Donald Trump said Washington would withdraw from a landmark Cold War-era treaty that eliminated nuclear missiles from Europe because Russia was violating the pact, triggering a warning of retaliatory measures from Moscow. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, required the elimination of short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles by both countries. Trump said the United States will develop the weapons unless Russia and China agree to a halt on development. China is not a party to the treaty. Asked about Trump's comments in Beijing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said a unilateral withdrawal would have a negative impact on many sides. She urged the United States to "prudently" handle the issue.