Ambassador Liu Xiaoming contributes an article to the Financial Times entitled The US's wrong-headed decision to pull out of the nuclear arms treaty

2019年5月5日，英国主流大报《金融时报》刊登驻英国大使刘晓明署名文章《美国退出<中导条约>是错误的决定》。全文如下：

On 5 May 2019, the Financial Times published an article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming entitled The US's wrong-headed decision to pull out of the nuclear arms treaty, in which he expounded China's position on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. The full text is as follows:

　　上世纪80年代，我在美国塔夫茨大学弗莱彻法律外交学院留学之时，美苏正就后来于1987年签署的《中导条约》展开激烈谈判。

　　作为一名在冷战“高潮”时期研究地缘战略和军备控制问题的学者，我对美苏激烈谈判产生浓厚兴趣，把它作为研究课题，并在论文中指出，该条约如果达成并得到切实遵守，将成为构筑世界持久和平的基石。我的论文得到弗莱彻学院教授的高度评价，并获得了“A”的好成绩。

Back when the US and the Soviet Union were negotiating what would become the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, I was a student at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

As a researcher in Cold War geopolitical strategies and arms control during the height of the Cold War, I found the heated talks fascinating: this became the focus of my research. I argued in my thesis that if the treaty was concluded and observed, it could become a cornerstone for lasting peace in the world. My professor at Fletcher spoke highly of my dissertation and gave it an "A".

　　此后的历史演进证明，我的结论是正确的。《中导条约》自1987年底签署以来，为维持全球相对和平发挥了积极作用。然而近期，美俄相继宣布退出《中导条约》，美方除了指责俄罗斯未能履约外，还把矛头指向中国，声称中国发展中导。这种无端指责毫无道理，也令人无法接受。

　　首先，《中导条约》的本质是“双边”，而不是“多边”。《中导条约》是美俄之间的双边文件，是两大军事强国为避免无休止的军备竞赛达成的妥协。在条约规定期限内，美俄共计销毁了2692枚中导，为缓和大国关系、增进国际与地区和平、维护全球战略平衡与稳定发挥了重要作用。时至今日，美俄仍是世界上拥有核武数量最多的国家，核弹头数量相加约占全世界14500枚核弹头总量的92%，两国仍对全球军控和裁军事业负有主要责任。

Since then, my conclusion has been proved right. The INF treaty, signed at the end of 1987, has played a positive role in maintaining relative peace in the world.

Unfortunately, both the US and Russia recently announced their withdrawal from the treaty. The US even cited "China's intermediate-range missiles" as one of its excuses, along with alleged Russian cheating. Such an effort to blame China is groundless and unacceptable.

The INF treaty is, in nature, bilateral rather than multilateral. It was a deal between the world's two largest military powers to avoid an endless arms race. It has resulted in the destruction of 2,692 missiles, played an important role in easing tensions between major countries, safeguarding regional and world peace, and maintaining strategic balance and stability. Even now, the US and Russia still hold about 92 per cent of the world's 14,500 nuclear warheads. These two countries should continue to shoulder the major responsibility for arms control and disarmament.