Nuclear: Beijing "willing" to discuss if Washington slashes arsenal

China said on Wednesday, July 8, " willing " to join the US-Russia talks on nuclear weapons reduction, as demanded by the United States, but only if they pledge to " reduce their arsenal at Chinese level ", 18 times lower. Americans and Russians had discussions in Vienna in late June to try to extend the New Start treaty. This bilateral agreement limits the very large number of their nuclear warheads and expires in February 2021.

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The United States wants to include China in the negotiations, believing that its nuclear capacity is rapidly expanding. Beijing refuses, stressing that it has an arsenal beyond measure with the two former Cold War rivals. The Americans have in 2020 some 5,800 nuclear warheads and the Russians of 6,375, against 320 for the Chinese, 290 for the French and 215 for the British, according to the International Institute for Peace Research in Stockholm (Sipri).

" To assert that the small number of nuclear warheads owned by China constitutes a threat to American security, when the United States has some 6,000 of them, defies logic, " said Fu Cong, a senior official in the Chinese ministry, on Wednesday. Foreign Affairs. " I assure you that if the United States says it is ready to reduce its arsenal to the Chinese level, China will be ready to participate in the discussions the next day, " stressed Mr. Fu, director general of the security control service, to the press. armaments.

A possible resumption of the arms race

He pleaded for the extension of the New Start treaty and a significant reduction in the Russian and American arsenals, the only conditions he believes capable of bringing other nuclear-weapon nations to the negotiating table. Asked whether China is currently strengthening its nuclear arsenal, Fu Cong declined to comment.

The New Start Treaty is the only Russian-American arms agreement still in force. The text provides for a limitation to 1,550 of the number of nuclear warheads. Calling on China to participate is a " subterfuge " of the United States in order to have " a pretext through which they can withdraw from the treaty, " said Fu Cong. " Their real objective is to get rid of all restrictions and to have carte blanche to obtain military superiority over all their adversaries, real or imagined. A withdrawal from the United States would likely mark a resumption of the arms race.

President Donald Trump has already withdrawn his country from three international agreements on the subject: that on Iranian nuclear power, the Open Skies Treaty aimed at verifying military movements and arms limitation measures of the signatory countries , and the INF Treaty on medium-range land missiles.