Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 27, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleChina rejects nuclear disarmament talks with the US and Russia, citing differences in nuclear capabilities and policies.
BEIJING (Reuters) -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.
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.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Sharon Singleton)
Nuclear disarmament refers to the process of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and their delivery systems to promote global security and prevent nuclear proliferation.
The United States plays a significant role in nuclear disarmament efforts, often engaging in negotiations with other nuclear powers to reduce arsenals and promote arms control treaties.
China advocates for nuclear disarmament but argues that it is unreasonable to include it in negotiations with the US and Russia due to differing strategic security environments.
Regional nuclear treaties are agreements among countries in a specific region aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting disarmament within that area.
Arms control negotiations are crucial for reducing the risk of conflict, enhancing international security, and fostering trust among nations by limiting the proliferation of weapons.
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