WASHINGTON: The United States expressed regret on Wednesday over China’s decision to suspend bilateral negotiations on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control in response to Washington’s weapons sales to Taiwan. The US warned that this move could undermine “strategic stability” and increase the risk of an arms race.
“That step they have taken is unfortunate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. “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,” he added. “We think this approach undermines strategic stability. It increases the risk of arms race dynamics.”
The United States and China held rare talks on nuclear arms control in November as part of efforts to ease mistrust ahead of a summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. However, no further dialogue had been publicly announced since then. A White House official in January urged Beijing to respond “to some of our more substantive ideas on risk reduction.”
Earlier on Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry said recent US arms sales to Taiwan were “seriously undermining the political atmosphere for continued arms control consultations between the two sides.” The ministry’s statement highlights the deepening rift between the two global powers over the Taiwan issue.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but has remained Taiwan’s most important partner and biggest arms supplier, prompting repeated condemnations from China. Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes any form of official interactions between Taipei and foreign governments.
“Unfortunately, by suspending these consultations, China has chosen not to pursue efforts that would manage strategic risks and prevent costly arms races,” Miller said.
But China’s foreign ministry said recent US sales of weapons to Taiwan were seriously undermining the political atmosphere for arms control consultations between the two countries.
“The US has… continued its arms sales to Taiwan, and taken a series of negative actions that seriously damage China’s core interests and undermine political mutual trust,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
He went on to say China has decided to halt talks with the United States on a new round of weapons control and non-proliferation.
The Pentagon in a report last October said that China was developing its nuclear weapons more quickly than the United States had anticipated. It said China possessed more than 500 functional nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the US currently possesses about 3,700 nuclear warheads, while Russia has roughly 4,500.
Lin said China is willing to maintain contacts with the United States on international arms control issues on the basis of mutual respect.
“But the United States must respect China’s core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue,” he warned.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but has remained Taiwan’s most important partner and biggest weapons arms supplier.
