China urges US to abandon 'Cold War mentality'

China has criticised plans by the United States to transform and expand its nuclear weapons capability.


China said it is "firmly opposed" to the policy statement, describing its speculation about Chinese intentions as "wild guesses".

The US Defence Department's Nuclear Posture Review, released on Friday, outlines the Pentagon's nuclear ambitions under US President Donald Trump, while spelling out how it foresees nuclear threats in the coming decades.

Although the review largely focuses on Russia, several sections are dedicated to the lack of transparency in China's nuclear buildup.

The report says China has added new types of nuclear capabilities - ranging from a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile to a new ballistic missile submarine - "with little to no transparency into its intentions".

The report makes "wild guesses" about China's intentions and exaggerates the threat of its nuclear force, defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement.

China is "firmly opposed to this", he said.

China "has always kept its own nuclear forces at the minimum level required by national security", Mr Ren said, pointing out that the US has the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

"We hope that the United States will abandon its Cold War mentality," he added.
 (RTE)
 4/2/18