US Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingsley said China does not intend to participate in trilateral nuclear arms control negotiations with the participation of Russia and China. The American diplomat said this on his Twitter, noting that Beijing still has a “reserved seat” at the Vienna talks.
“China has just stated that it does not intend to participate in trilateral negotiations. He should reconsider his decision. To obtain the status of a great power, you need to take responsibility. No more Great Wall of secrecy around building the country's nuclear potential. We are waiting for China in Vienna, ”said Billingsley.
Negotiations on the extension of the Treaty on Measures to Further Reduce and Limit Strategic Offensive Arms (START III) are planned at the talks. Earlier in early May, Billinglesi had already announced that Washington was unlikely to extend the treaty if China could not be seated at the negotiating table.
Billingsley's new statement came amid a publication in The Washington Post that quoted anonymous senior officials from the Trump administration saying that the United States was “absolutely ready” not to extend the START Treaty.
“We absolutely intend to refuse. But I would say softer: in fact, all options are being considered, ”a senior US administration source told the publication.
- US Special Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingsley
- AFP
- © CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images
In an interview with RT, Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Military-Political Studies of the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stressed that the US authorities had long been signaling that they did not intend to prolong the operation of the START (START III).
“The US authorities are ready not to extend the strategic offensive arms, in fact, this decision was made a long time ago. Judging by Billingsley’s appointment, the American side is only able to break up what remains of the nuclear arms control mechanism. For some serious negotiations, for example, Marshall Billingsley is not able due to his complete incompetence in this area, ”the political scientist emphasized.
Recall that the Donald Trump administration has consistently withdrawn from all strategic arms control treaties that were signed between Russia and the United States after the end of the Cold War. So, in 2019, Washington withdrew from the Treaty on the Destruction of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty), and in the spring of 2020, from the Open Skies Treaty.
Third side
The PRC authorities have repeatedly stated that they do not plan to participate in the negotiation process on the extension of the START. On June 9, this position was re-voiced by the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying.
“With regard to this issue, we have repeatedly expressed our position. China has no intentions to participate in the so-called trilateral talks on nuclear disarmament with the US and Russia, ”RIA Novosti quotes Hua Chunying as answering the question whether China has received an invitation and whether it will participate in the meeting.
The lack of readiness of China to join these negotiations was also noted by the Russian Foreign Ministry - this was stated by deputy head of the department Sergey Ryabkov.
“We do not see that China is ready for this and that this approach may change in the near future. This is the sovereign choice of any country, ”he said.
However, the Trump administration continues to insist that China be included in negotiations to extend the START Treaty, despite the fact that this agreement was originally bilateral and was concluded between Russia and the United States. So, Marshall Billingsley in May stated that the current bilateral format of the agreement was allegedly irrelevant.
“START III expires in February. There is an opportunity to extend it. But then again, this format is not suitable for the future. A trilateral approach based on an effective verification procedure will be a good format, ”the American special envoy said.
For the modern American elite, restraining China’s strategic capabilities is a priority, said Vladimir Batyuk.
“This explains the persistent attempts to somehow involve China in negotiations on nuclear arms control,” the political scientist emphasized.
As a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin explained in an interview with RT, China is not going to participate in multilateral agreements to limit strategic weapons, since its nuclear arsenal is an order of magnitude smaller than the American one. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the PRC has 320 nuclear weapons, while the United States has about 5.8 thousand warheads and bombs.
“The Chinese authorities have repeatedly stated that they can accede to this treaty only on condition that their nuclear potential is equal to American and Russian. The United States, knowing this position, constantly insists on the inclusion of the Chinese side in this agreement, so that in case of non-renewal of strategic offensive arms, turn the arrows and make China and Russia guilty, which supposedly had to make Beijing sit at the negotiating table, because the countries are allies, ”the expert explained plan of the american side.
The expert noted that even in the unlikely scenario in which China would meet the United States and join the agreement, Beijing itself would demand the inclusion of India as its geopolitical adversary. In turn, India will demand a connection to the Pakistan process.
“Obviously, this will cause a domino effect,” said Konstantin Blokhin.
Impossible Requirements
Strategic nuclear arms control talks will be held in Vienna on June 22. Washington will represent Marshall Billingsley, and Moscow - Sergey Ryabkov.
The Russian diplomat had previously stated that Moscow was ready, within the framework of these negotiations, in the interests of extending the START, to discuss restrictions on nuclear weapons, including promising developments in this area.
However, Washington, in turn, should be ready to discuss steps worrying the Russian side to expand the American missile defense system in Europe, space weapons and the developed types of global strike weapons.
- Russian Foreign Ministry
- globallookpress.com
- © Konstantin Kokoshkin / Global Look Press
“If they want to agree, the path is open. Our readiness to discuss promising types of weapons is conditional on the US agreeing to a substantive discussion of our concerns, ”Ryabkov explained in an interview with Kommersant.
In turn, commenting on Moscow’s concern, Marshall Billingsley said the White House did not want to limit its missile defense.
“In order for the president to change this position, the Russians must make an incredibly attractive offer - I can even imagine how it can be,” said the American special envoy.
Now the US authorities are building a position that will allow them to abandon the extension of the START Treaty under a formal pretext, despite the expressed readiness of Moscow for negotiations, said Vladimir Batyuk.
“But such a move would be absolutely unlawful. START brought an element of mutual trust. If the only treaty is destroyed that allows the parties to legally mutually control strategic nuclear weapons and conduct on-site inspections, which both parties have actively used, then a qualitative arms race will accelerate. Undoubtedly, this will make the situation especially dangerous, ”the expert explained.
Konstantin Blokhin in an interview with RT noted that the United States is inferior to China in many areas, so they are now persistently trying to make it a party to the agreement in order to contain Beijing.
“This will affect all international stability. Previously, thanks to the START countries, countries monitored nuclear weapons, but after the non-renewal of this agreement, a world arms race will unleash. If the agreement is not extended, a return to the times of the Cold War is possible, which will be supplemented by new types of threats, ”the political scientist concluded.