China has challenged the United States of America to reduce its nuclear arsenal to a level same as theirs, so as to entice them to be part of the trilateral arm control.
According to reports by CNN, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for China to join in negotiations to extend a flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia (which is due to expire in February next year).
But China replied (via the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s arms control), that they would “be happy to” participate in the negotiation, on the condition that Washington would significantly reduce its arsenal to match China’s own level.
“I can assure you that if the US says that they are ready to come down to the Chinese level (of nuclear weapons), China will be happy to participate the next day. But actually we know that’s not going to happen,” Fu Cong said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
The treaty (also known as New START nuclear agreement), was designed to limit the Strategic use of offensive arms, between these countries and it’s expected to expire in 2021.
While the US and Russia has reportedly engaged in the negotiation, China has flatly refused to be part of it.
READ ALSO: Trump: ‘As I watch the Pandemic spread, I become more and more angry at China’
According to Fu Cong, a huge gap exist between thenuclear arsenal of China and those of the US/Russia.
“China has no interest in joining the so-called trilateral negotiations, given the huge gap between the nuclear arsenal of China and those of the US and the Russian Federation,” Fu said.
“For us, this trilateral negotiation is nothing but a ‘hoax,’ to use a word of the US President,” he added.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated the Chinese nuclear weapons to be about 320, while US and Russia have at least 5,000 nuclear warheads each.
