China accused the US President’s administration of “bullying, unilateralism and frustrating” intentions to tackle global issues. China’s UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, said he had put in China’s instrument of consent to the treaty.
The pact coordinates a $70 billion global cross-border trade in conventional arms and aims to keep weapons out of human rights wrongdoers’ reach.
China becomes the 107th party to the treaty, authorised by the UN General Assembly in 2013.
Then-US President Barack Obama signed it, but the move was disputed by the National Rifle Association and the US Senate never authorised it.
Trump said in April last year that he has plans to nullify the role of the United States in the treaty as a signatory party.
In July 2019, the United States told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that it had no intentions of taking part in the treaty and that it had no legal responsibilities from its 2013 signature.
Without mentioning the US, but as tensions rise between China and the US, Mr Zhang said in a statement that a “certain country … walked away from international commitments, and launched acts of unilateralism and bullying.”
“This has brought huge uncertainties to the global strategic balance and stability, and seriously undermined the joint efforts of all countries to tackle global challenges,” he said.
He added that “major powers need to … set an example by contributing to safeguarding the international order, the rule of law, the role of the UN and multilateralism.”
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“China has caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the world!” Trump tweeted.
In later tweets he referred to the pathogen as the “China Virus,” a term that has previously proved controversial.
He wrote: “Deaths from the China Virus are down 39%, while our great testing program continues to lead the World, by FAR!
“Why isn’t the Fake News reporting that Deaths are way down? It is only because they are, indeed, FAKE NEWS!”