China sharply responds to US and Russia over nuclear disarmament demands

On the previous day, US President Donald Trump said he had discussed nuclear control with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would like to see Beijing participate in the process.

Why China refuses

Guo Jiakun emphasized that China’s and the US’s nuclear capabilities cannot even be compared.

"The nuclear forces of China and the United States are not at the same level at all, and the strategic security environment and nuclear policies of the two countries are totally different. It is unreasonable and unrealistic to ask China to join the trilateral nuclear disarmament talks between China, the United States and Russia," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

According to Guo, China strictly adheres to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons and pursues an exclusively defensive nuclear strategy. Beijing does not plan to get involved in an arms race with any other country.

"Countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfil their special priority responsibilities for nuclear disarmament," added the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

On August 25, Trump stated that one of the main goals of the US is denuclearization, together with China and Russia. According to the American president, Moscow is supposedly already ready for talks, while China will join later.

Putin and the new START treaty

In 2023, Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (DSNO). The treaty is set to remain in effect until February 2026, and its potential renewal could become a key issue in future negotiations.

Before he met with Trump in Alaska, Putin noted that a new strategic arms treaty could be one of the main topics of discussion. This highlights the complexity of future trilateral talks and the different approaches to nuclear control in the US, Russia, and China.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Russia wants to update its nuclear program due to perceived "threats" to its existence.