China wary of Russian plan

BEIJING, JUNE 6. China reserved judgment on a Russian proposal to erect joint missile defences with NATO and Europe, but insisted that any change to an anti-ballistic missile treaty would trigger a new arms race.

The Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, proposed the joint anti-missile defence system on Monday as an alternative to a unilateral anti-missile shield Washington wants to build to ward off possible attacks by hostile countries.

Mr. Putin's proposal followed a summit with the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, in Moscow last weekend at which defence analysts say Russia effectively reversed its opposition to adjusting a 1972 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty.

The ABM treaty, originally signed by the United States and the Soviet Union, forbids the deployment of a national missile defence system.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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