China says trilateral nuclear disarmament talks with US, Russia 'unreasonable'

BEIJING: China said on Wednesday that it is "unreasonable and unrealistic" to ask the country to join nuclear disarmament negotiations with the United States and Russia.

AI Brief

China says its nuclear policy is defensive and refuses to join US-Russia arms control talks due to unequal arsenals.
Trump wants China involved in denuclearisation talks with Russia, calling nuclear weapons a global threat.
China plans to sign a Southeast Asian nuclear ban treaty, showing selective engagement on nuclear issues.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, made the remarks after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had discussed nuclear arms control with Russian President Vladimir Putin and wanted China to be involved too.

"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," Guo said.

China pursues a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy of self-defence, he said, adding Beijing will not engage in an arms race with any other country.

"Countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfil their special priority responsibilities for nuclear disarmament," Guo said.

Trump told reporters on Monday, ahead of his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, that "one of the things we're trying to do with Russia and with China is denuclearisation, and it's very important."

"I think the denuclearisation is a very — it's a big aim, but Russia is willing to do it, and I think China is going to be willing to do it too. We can't let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons. The power is too great," Trump said.

Malaysia's foreign minister said last month that China would sign up to a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready.