 "'Neither reasonable nor realistic': China rejects Trump’s call to join nuclear talks with US and Russia")
China on Wednesday said it would not join trilateral denuclearisation talks with the United States and Russia, dismissing President Donald Trump’s call to include Beijing in future negotiations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that it was “neither reasonable nor realistic” to expect China to join trilateral nuclear disarmament talks with the US and Russia.
“China and the United States are not at the same level at all in terms of nuclear capabilities,” AFP quoted Guo as saying.
“The countries with the largest nuclear arsenal should earnestly fulfil their special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament,” he said.
The response came after Trump said on Monday that the US was seeking to engage both Russia and China in efforts to advance denuclearisation.
“I think the denuclearisation is a very - it’s a big aim. But Russia’s willing to do it and I think China is going to be willing to do it too,” AFP quoted Trump as telling reporters at the White House.
“We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons,” he added.
Russia and the United States — former Cold War adversaries — hold nearly 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
However, Moscow withdrew from the last remaining arms control treaty with Washington in 2023, further complicating global disarmament efforts.
Beijing says it supports nuclear disarmament in principle but has consistently declined US invitations to join arms reduction talks between Washington and Moscow.
According to 2024 estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States possesses 3,708 nuclear warheads and Russia 4,380 — not including retired stockpiles. China holds 500 warheads, an increase of 90 from 2023. France and the United Kingdom follow with 290 and 225 warheads, respectively.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOn Wednesday, China reiterated that it maintains its nuclear arsenal “at the minimum level required for national security” and does not seek to engage in an arms race with any country.
With inputs from agencies
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