China Turns Down Invite to Nuclear Arms Control Talks
Foreign Ministry: US invite not sincere
Jason Ditz
China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Friday confirming that they will not attend future nuclear arms control talks with the US and Russia, saying that they believe US invitations are “neither serious nor sincere.”
This follows up comments earlier this week in which China said they’d only join if the US nuclear arsenal were reduced to their approximate level. Unsurprisingly, the US wasn’t going to do this, so they’re not going to attend.
This was always expected to be the case. Russia and the US each have around 6,000 nuclear warheads, and China has only 320. In global limitations, China’s arsenal is immaterial, and it’s never been clear why the US was so determined to bring China into the talks in the first place.
Russia has in the past accused the US of inviting China just to distract from serious talks, with New START set to expire and no deal in place to replace it. Trump has maintained China must be involved, and seems willing to spurn the talks if he doesn’t get China at the table.
This follows up comments earlier this week in which China said they’d only join if the US nuclear arsenal were reduced to their approximate level. Unsurprisingly, the US wasn’t going to do this, so they’re not going to attend.
This was always expected to be the case. Russia and the US each have around 6,000 nuclear warheads, and China has only 320. In global limitations, China’s arsenal is immaterial, and it’s never been clear why the US was so determined to bring China into the talks in the first place.
Russia has in the past accused the US of inviting China just to distract from serious talks, with New START set to expire and no deal in place to replace it. Trump has maintained China must be involved, and seems willing to spurn the talks if he doesn’t get China at the table.
posted by Satish Sharma at
11:51
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