Chinese lash treaty

Press, 12 May 1979, Page 8

Chinese lash treaty

NZPA-Reuter 1 okyo China has criticised the S.A.L.T. II treaty for the second consecutive day, describing the agreement as the beginning of a new round in the arms race. The official Chinese Xinhua news agency, in an article monitored in Tokyo said: “The treaty will not prevent each side from improving the quality of its strategic nuclear weapons as by, for instance, raising the level of accuracy and improving guidance systems. “The race to improve the quality of the weapons

has been the focus of the arms race between the two sides since the conclusion of the S.A.L.T. 1 agreement. It also provides the key to the contention for nuclear superiority between the two sides in the future,” it said. The Chinese news agency commented: “In their disarmament talks, each of the two superpowers has tried to restrict its opponent while strengthening itself. “The protracted S.A.L.T. II negotiations were no exception. Facts show, however, that restrictions

do not work. In the course of the 10-year negotiations, the number of Soviet nuclear weapons had increased fivefold, while the number held by the United States had doubled,” it said. Xinhua said: “The Soviet Union has not only surpassed the United States in quantity, but has also increasingly become equal with the U.S, in quality. The Kremlin clearly regards the agreement just concluded as one that will help it focus its efforts on improving the quality of its nuclear weapons so as to catch up with the U.S.”