At a Security Council meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation earlier this year, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “[T]he global framework that has curbed nuclear armament for years is under increasing strain.” She pointed to Iran’s expansion of its nuclear program with no credible civilian justification; Russia’s dangerous nuclear rhetoric and failure to live up to its arms control obligations; the DPRK’s multiple missile launches testing delivery systems for nuclear weapons; and the PRC’s rapid and opaque build-up of its nuclear weapons stores.
Now, the PRC is contributing to a further fraying of the global non-proliferation regime. On July 17, China announced it had suspended arms control and nuclear non-proliferation negotiations with the United States. The two countries held their first round of nuclear arms control talks in November 2023 after a hiatus of five years. At the time, the State Department underscored the need for such engagement “to promote stability, help avert an unconstrained arms race, and manage competition so that it does not veer into conflict.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman said the talks with the United States were halted because of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. In recent months, the PRC has stepped up aggressive moves against the democratically governed island. The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act, makes available defense articles and services as necessary so Taiwan can maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller called the suspension of nuclear talks by the PRC “unfortunate.”
“China has chosen to follow Russia’s lead in asserting that engagement on arms control can’t proceed when there are other challenges in the bilateral relationship. We think this approach undermines strategic stability. It increases the risk of arms race dynamics. We have made efforts to bolster the defense of our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, and we will continue to make those efforts in the face of Chinese threats to their security.”
“[U]nfortunately, by suspending these consultations, China has chosen not to pursue efforts that would manage strategic risks and prevent costly arms races,” Spokesperson Miller declared. “But we in the United States will remain open to developing and implementing concrete risk-reduction measures with China. However,” he added, “it requires a PRC willing to also manage strategic risks.”
