Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday slammed U.S. president's mentioning of China in his latest remarks concerning his decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
The INF is a treaty between the U.S. and Russia, and it is unreasonable for the U.S. to point to other countries when it threatened to leave the treaty unilaterally, said spokesperson Hua Chunying at a regular briefing.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters in Washington that the U.S. will build up its nuclear arsenal, claiming "it's a threat to whoever you want. And it includes China. And it includes Russia."
China firmly safeguards its legitimate interests and refuses blackmail in any form, said Hua, adding that she hopes the U.S. can "look before leaping".
The INF was signed by then U.S. president Ronald Reagan and former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, in a bid to halt the proliferation of nuclear and conventional missiles.
The pact worked toward the elimination of short- and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles by both countries.
