China Would Join Nuclear Talks if US Reduces Arsenal

By Staff, Agencies

Beijing said Wednesday that the US demands for it to join nuclear disarmament talks with Russia are a ruse to sink the negotiations, but it could take part if Washington lowers its arsenals to China's level.

American and Russian officials held talks in Vienna last month to discuss a replacement for the New START treaty, which limits each side to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads but is due to run out in February.

In this respect, US President Donald Trump insisted China be included in disarmament talks, citing what he says is the free rein Beijing has had to develop weapons systems.

China has shown no interest in participating.

Fu Cong, director general of the Department of Arms Control at China's foreign ministry, said the US pressure is "nothing but a ploy to divert world tension" and "create a pretext under which they can walk away from the New START."

"Their real purpose is to get rid of all the restrictions and have a free hand in seeking military superiority over any adversary, real or imagined," Fu said at a news conference.

The US and Russia hold more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

According to the institute's latest research, Russia has 6,375 nuclear warheads, including those that are not deployed, and the United States has 5,800.

By contrast, China has 320, France 290 and the UK 215.