US President Donald Trump suggested Thursday, when calling on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, to involve China in further talks on limiting the arms race, the White House said.
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" President Trump has reaffirmed that the United States is committed to an effective arms limitation that includes not only Russia, but also China, and looks forward to future discussions to avoid an expensive arms race ," said l executive in a statement. The United States and Russia - rival powers during the Cold War - last year abandoned the INF disarmament treaty, which banned missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
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Washington is also threatening to quit the New Start treaty, which keeps the nuclear arsenals of the two countries well below the level of the Cold War and whose last installment expires in 2021. Donald Trump is pushing for China to be involved in a future agreement, arguing that Beijing's nuclear and missile capacity is rapidly expanding.