The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the recent statement by Marshall Billingslea, President Trump’s arms control envoy, that China has a “great power responsibility” to participate in three-way arms talks with the US and Russia.
“China has no intention to take part in the so-called China-U.S.-Russia trilateral arms control negotiations. This position is clear and consistent,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during the ministry’s daily briefing on June 11. “As is known to all, China’s nuclear power is not on the same order of magnitude as that of the US and Russia. It is not yet the right timing for China to participate in nuclear disarmament talks. Owners of the largest nuclear arsenals have special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament. Considering the current circumstances, the US should respond positively to Russia’s call on extending the New START and further drastically reduce its nuclear arms stockpile, creating conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join in multilateral nuclear disarmament talks.”
