BEIJING • China wants to join as soon as possible an international arms treaty that the United States has spurned, the Foreign Ministry has said, adding that it was China's responsibility to take part as a member of the international community.
US President Donald Trump has said he intends to revoke the US signature to the treaty, which regulates the US$70 billion (S$96.7 billion) global cross-border trade in conventional arms and seeks to keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers.
So far, 104 countries have joined the pact, which the United Nations General Assembly approved in 2013. Former US leader Barack Obama had signed it, but it was opposed by the National Rifle Association and other conservative groups, and never ratified by the US Senate.
Speaking at the United Nations on Friday, the Chinese government's top diplomat, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi, said China has initiated domestic legal procedures to join the Arms Trade Treaty.
China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday following Mr Wang's announcement that the country was striving to join the treaty "as soon as possible".
This is an important action for China to actively participate in the governance of the global arms trade and reflects China's determination to support multilateralism, it said.
China has always attached great importance to the issue of illegal arms sales and their misuse, and supports the purposes and objectives of the treaty, it added.
"As a responsible member of the international family, China is willing to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with all parties, and work together to build a standardised and reasonable arms trade order and make positive contributions to maintaining international and regional peace and stability," said the ministry.
Since the two countries embarked on a trade war, China has frequently rebuked the US for its withdrawal from international treaties and not playing by the rules, seeking to portray China as a staunch defender of multilateralism.
REUTERS
