“Make no mistake: the more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely it is that they will be used,” Obama said at the inaugural session of a two-day US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. “Together, we must strengthen Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by renewing its basic bargain: countries with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament; countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them; and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy,” he said.
Neither America nor China want a terrorist acquire a bomb, or a nuclear arms race breaking out in East Asia, he stated. He singled out two nations — North Korea and Iran, the two nations believed to developing nuclear programmes.
“... we must continue our collaboration to achieve denuclearising of the Korean peninsula, and make it clear to N Korea that the path to security can be travelled if they meet their obligations,” he said.
Published 27 July 2009, 17:10 IST