New nuclear pact should include Russia, China: Trump

After the US withdrew from a Cold War-era pact with Russia

WASHINGTON: Any new treaty to counter the build-up of nuclear missiles should include China, President Donald Trump said on Friday after the United States withdrew from a Cold War-era pact with Russia.

"We'd certainly want to include China at some point," Trump told reporters.

"That would be a great thing for the world," he added, hours after his administration formally pulled out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

US, Russia rip up Cold War-era INF missile treaty

Trump said he has talked about a new arms reduction treaty with both countries. China was "very excited... and so was Russia," he said.

"A pact where they reduce and we reduce nuclear, that would be a great thing for the world. I do believe that would happen."

The United States on Friday abandoned the INF treaty with Russia, saying that violations by Moscow had rendered it pointless.