China has issued a stark World War 3 warning ahead of global nuclear catastrophe breaking out over Russian plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus. The country’s UN representative Geng Shuang pleaded for calm and, without naming Russia directly, asked for the “withdrawal of nuclear weapons deployed abroad”.
Russian President Putin and the Chinese premier Xi Jinping have enjoyed a “no limits friendship” despite the war in Ukraine, with both leaders declaring solidarity with one another in a show of strength to the West.
But with Putin’s decision to move nuclear weapons into the Kremlin-puppet country of Belarus the Russian dictator will be putting the doomsday devices ever closer to NATO member countries, like Poland.
On Friday at the Mr Shuang told the UN Security Council meeting that nuclear armaments were “the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads”.
He said: “We call for the abolition of the nuclear-sharing arrangements and advocate no deployment of nuclear weapons abroad by all nuclear weapons states, and the withdrawal of nuclear weapons deployed abroad.
“Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and nuclear crisis avoided.”
Mr Shuang reiterated that China opposes armed attacks against nuclear power plants and the threat or use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Beijing claims to have a neutral stance in the war, but has also stressed its “no limits friendship” with Russia. It has refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion, and late last month released a peace plan calling for a cease-fire and talks between Ukraine and Russia.
On March 25 Russia announced plans to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko upped the ante just before the council meeting, saying Russia might also deploy strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus, which Russian forces have used as a staging ground for the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow is not transferring nuclear weapons but “operational tactical missile complexes,” which will be under Russian control. He insisted this was not in violation of Moscow’s international obligations.
The U.S. deputy ambassador, Robert Wood, accused Russia of “attempting to manipulate the spectre of nuclear conflict” to help win the war in Ukraine.
He said: “No other country is inflicting such damage on arms control nor seeking to undermine strategic stability in Europe.
“No other country has raised the prospect of potential nuclear use in connection with the war in Ukraine. … No country is threatening Russia or threatening President Putin.”
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