The Chinese government yesterday responded to the statements by Pranay Vaddi, senior director for arms control disarmament and non-proliferation at the U.S. National Security Council, that China, Russia and North Korea were expanding their nuclear arsenals at a “breakneck pace” and showed “little or no interest in arms control.” Vaddi added: “Absent a change in the trajectory of the adversary arsenal, we may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required.”
South China Morning Post reported that “China responded by telling the Russian state news agency TASS: `The U.S. needs to reflect on its behavior and commit itself to doing the right thing. The U.S. should reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security policies and act responsibly for the welfare of the world. The U.S. sits on the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world. Even so, it clings to a first-use nuclear policy, devises nuclear deterrence strategies against others and has invested heavily in upgrading its nuclear triad.’”
SCMP also quoted Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who said of Vaddi’s remarks: “I believe the Chinese government will consider this as a comment that adds negative elements to an already turbulent world. This message from the U.S. will make some countries prepare some nuclear warheads for launch which will increase the risk facing the world.”
