Beijing – China announced on Wednesday that it would not take part in denuclearisation talks with the United States and Russia, pushing back against Washington’s efforts to bring Beijing into future arms control negotiations.
The statement came after US President Donald Trump expressed hope earlier this week that China would join in discussions on reducing nuclear arsenals. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said the US was working with both Moscow and Beijing toward what he called a “big aim” of global denuclearization.
“Russia is willing to do it and I think China is going to be willing to do it too,” Trump told reporters, adding that nuclear proliferation must be prevented. “We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons.”
Beijing’s rejection underscores the geopolitical complexities of arms control. While the US and Russia together hold over 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads, China maintains a far smaller arsenal and has long argued it should not be bound by the same frameworks. Chinese officials have consistently resisted pressure to join trilateral talks, saying Washington and Moscow must first make deeper cuts to their far larger stockpiles.
The divergence highlights the broader struggle between the world’s leading powers over strategic stability. For Washington, including China in future agreements would represent a major step in addressing 21st-century nuclear risks. For Beijing, however, joining such talks is seen as undermining its security posture at a time of growing rivalry with the US across trade, technology, and military domains.
Analysts warn that without consensus among the three nuclear powers, the global non-proliferation regime could face further strain, complicating efforts to prevent an arms race in Asia and beyond.
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