There is no consensus on an int’l arms trade treaty, major weapons exporter China said Wednesday, after it abstained as the UN General Assembly passed the measure by 154 votes to three.

The only votes against the first treaty on the conventional arms trade were from Syria, N Korea and Iran. The 23 countries abstaining included Russia and China, ranked respectively as the number 2 and 5 weapons exporters by the Stockholm Int’l Peace Research Institute think tank, and major buyers Egypt and India. “We are also in favour of a treaty to regulate arms trade but China is not in favour of pushing through a treaty at the General Assembly,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman said.