Moscow believes that Beijing and Washington have a separate channel for discussing arms control
Moscow. December 18. INTERFAX - The topic of China's involvement in the Russian-American consultations on strategic stability did not arise during contacts with Washington, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Interfax.
"I have seen reports that influential experts, including retirees and analysts, have published several materials about the Chinese factor, and this, of course, creates a certain background and context. But during those meetings and discussions, just communications, as they say, that we had in the outgoing year with the United States after the June meeting of the presidents, this topic did not arise," the deputy minister said.
"I understand that the United States has certain channels for discussing the topic of arms control with Beijing, there is a five-sided format - the nuclear five, which holds useful events. And now, on the approach to the NPT Review Conference, such work is also going on quite intensively. I hope there will be some results that we will announce at the conference or in connection with it. And China is very actively involved there. That is, there is no shortage of sites," Ryabkov said.
He continued: "With regard specifically to our strategic dialogue, the dialogue on strategic stability with the United States, the Chinese factor, as they say, pops up with the filing of the Americans, but our line is the same - we respect the position of the PRC and consider it a sovereign choice of this country, as well as Great Britain and France, in whose participation in this process we are very interested."
