Russia, China Challenge US with Proposal to Ban Space Weapons

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GENEVA - Global disarmament efforts appear set for a prolonged stalemate with China and Russia challenging the U.S. in a diplomatic showdown over nuclear weapons and missile-defence shields.

Beijing and Moscow formally outlined their proposal Tuesday for a global ban on space arms, including defensive shields. For its part, Washington urged all countries to agree to halt production of the fissile material needed to make atomic bombs.

Neither proposal appears to have a chance of gaining full support in the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament.

However, they're threatening hopes of reviving a disarmament process that has gone nowhere since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1996.

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