BEIJING, Aug. 27 — It’s neither reasonable nor realistic to ask China to join the nuclear disarmament negotiations with the United States and Russia, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.

Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to reports that U.S. President Donald Trump said recently that the United States and Russia are discussing cuts to their nuclear arsenals and expressed hope for China’s participation.

The country sitting on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal should earnestly fulfill its special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, further make drastic and substantive cuts to its nuclear arsenal, and create conditions for the ultimate realization of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament, Guo said.

“China’s nuclear strength is by no means on the same level with that of the United States. Our nuclear policy and strategic security environment are also completely different,” Guo said.

Noting China follows a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, he said China always keeps its nuclear strength at the minimum level required by national security, and never engages in arms race with anyone. China’s nuclear strength and nuclear policy contribute to world peace, the spokesperson added. (Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Aug. 26  — Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber on Tuesday signed a 250 million U.S.-dollar loan agreement with the World Bank to support reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in recent Israeli attacks, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

The deal will establish a fund to rebuild essential infrastructure, including roads, power and water systems, schools and hospitals.

Jaber called the agreement “an important first step toward reconstruction,” noting that Lebanon has also received 20 million dollars from Iraq and a pledge of 75 million euros (87 million dollars) from France.

The initial World Bank funding will finance urgent projects over the next 18 to 24 months to help displaced residents return home, reopen institutions and restore basic services.

The agreement will be sent to Lebanon’s parliament in the coming days for final approval. (Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Aug. 25– Israeli forces have established military positions in a strategic village southwest of Damascus, about 20 km from the Syrian capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday.

According to the Britain-based war monitor, the posts were set up on August 21 in Rakhlah, a village in the Mount Hermon area which overlooks three key roads linking Damascus with Lebanon’s Baalbek and Beirut.

The observatory said the move gives Israel a “significant strategic advantage,” placing its forces within artillery range of vital highways, including the Beirut-Masnaa and Beirut-Zahle routes, which are considered essential supply lines for Hezbollah.

It added that the deployment appears to be part of Israel’s wider strategy to encircle the Lebanese group and cut its potential supply routes.

There has been no official comment from Syria’s interim authorities on the reported deployment. Israel has carried out repeated airstrikes in southern Syria, targeting military sites and what it says are Hezbollah and Iranian-linked assets.

The reported fixed presence on the ground near Damascus would mark a major escalation in the tension between the two countries. (Xinhua)