On Wednesday, the top U.S. arms control official stated that China has not responded to U.S. nuclear weapons risk-reduction proposals. Subsequently, Washington is left questioning Beijing’s call for no-first-use talks despite building up its own arsenal.
According to the Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins, the U.S. estimation of the Chinese nuclear weapons arsenal sits at 500 operational nuclear warheads. However, that number has the potential to grow significantly within the next decade to reach 1,000. This past November, U.S. officials met with Chinese officials to discuss proliferation and arms control efforts, the first talks on the subject to occur in five years. The discussion contained methods for managing arms control and reducing the risk posed by proliferation. Continuing, Jenkins stated that China’s buildup has joint implications with Russia “United States may soon face two expansionary and significantly nuclear-armed peers”. Following China’s call for states to negotiate a no-first-use treaty in February also raises the need for further talks between the two countries on the nuclear issue.
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