Experts explain under what conditions China may open nuclear disarmament talks with the United States

Sputnik News, Moscow, February 5 - The head of the Center for International Security at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Alexei Arbatov, told Sputnik News that China is currently not prepared to participate in negotiations on limiting strategic weapons because its number of strategic weapons is far behind that of the United States.

The U.S.-Russia New START Treaty expired on February 5. Previously, the United States had repeatedly expressed a desire for China to join nuclear disarmament talks, but Beijing considered Washington's request unreasonable.

He said: "Currently, China still lags far behind the United States in the number of strategic nuclear weapons. When China approaches the U.S. level, it will be more inclined to participate in (nuclear disarmament) talks. Because every country wants the treaty to reflect not its backwardness, but rather roughly equal standing."

Meanwhile, Arbatov believes that if the Americans present a proposal that takes into account Beijing's security interests, China might join such a treaty.

He explained: "I don't see any fundamental reason why China would never participate. In time, China will eventually participate. If the Americans can offer a proposal that does not legitimize China's lagging status and significantly enhances its security assurance compared to no agreement, they might be able to achieve this, but the Americans have not yet designed such a proposal."

The U.S.-Russia New START Treaty expired on February 5, 2026. Russian President Putin previously announced that Russia is prepared to continue abiding by the restrictions set forth in the document for one year after the treaty expires. He explained that as long as the United States also takes equivalent measures, the restrictions in the New START Treaty will be effective. According to multiple media reports, U.S. President Trump said that Putin's proposal regarding the New START Treaty was a good idea.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856238328700043/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.