China has formally rejected the idea of engaging in nuclear disarmament talks with the United States and Russia, as stated by its Foreign Ministry. The decision follows President Donald Trump’s recent proposal that China join such discussions, with the U.S. and Russia being the primary subjects of the initiative. The Chinese government argues that the United States, with its vast nuclear arsenal, should take the lead in disarmament efforts, as it is the country with the largest stockpile in the world.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, stated that China and the U.S. are not at the same level in terms of nuclear capabilities, and that the U.S. should fulfill its ‘special and primary responsibility’ for nuclear disarmament. He emphasized that China follows a ‘no first use’ policy and maintains its nuclear arsenal at the minimum level required for national security. This position, he said, makes it ‘neither reasonable nor realistic’ to ask China to join the disarmament initiative.
Trump had previously suggested that China would surpass the U.S. in nuclear capabilities within five years, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Although Moscow has not commented on Trump’s remarks, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia, the New START, was recently extended until 2026, despite Russia’s formal suspension of its participation in 2023 due to U.S. military aid to Ukraine.