China, U.S. Remove Each Other From Nuclear Crosshairs -- Global Security Newswire

China, U.S. Remove Each Other From Nuclear Crosshairs -- Global Security Newswire

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20091118_1273.php



China and the United States yesterday announced they would refrain from targeting each other with their strategic nuclear arsenals, the Union of Concerned Scientists said (see GSN, Nov. 6).

The decision, described in a joint statement issued during President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing, is an about-face from a 2002 Bush administration decision to aim U.S. nuclear weapons at the Asian state, according to the organization. Washington and Beijing this week "reaffirmed their commitment made on 27 June 1998 not to target at each other the strategic nuclear weapons under their respective control," according to the release.

In addition, the powers agreed to work toward ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and negotiating a fissile material cutoff treaty through the international Conference on Disarmament (see GSN, Sept. 8).

"The two sides believed that the two countries have common interests in promoting the peaceful use of outer space and agree to take steps to enhance security in outer space," the White House statement adds. The language hints that Washington might be open to negotiating curbs on deploying offensive and defensive weapons in orbit, a step Beijing has advocated and linked to its willingness to end production of weapon-usable fissile material, the science group said.

The nations also reaffirmed their commitment to eventual nuclear disarmament and pledged their continued support for nuclear nonproliferation safeguards (Union of Concerned Scientists release, Nov. 17).