China does not intend to participate in trilateral arms control negotiations with the United States and Russia.

This was stated by Deputy Representative of the People's Republic of China to the UN Geng Shuang at a meeting of the first committee of the UN General Assembly dealing with disarmament and international security.

“Given the colossal difference between China's nuclear arsenal and the capabilities of the United States and Russia, expecting China to join any trilateral arms control talks is unfair, unreasonable and senseless.

China will never enter into such kind of negotiations and will not allow itself to be coerced or blackmailed, ”the diplomat said on the website of the Chinese permanent mission to the UN.

Recall that China's participation in the nuclear arms reduction negotiations is one of the conditions that the United States sets for the extension of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START, START III) or the creation of a new agreement on its basis.

At the same time, Geng Shuang noted that the PRC does not refuse to participate in the global disarmament process.

“From the very first day of its possession of nuclear weapons, China has advocated the complete prohibition and final elimination of nuclear weapons.

China was the first to proclaim a policy of non-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances.

He also unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against countries that do not possess them, and zones free of nuclear weapons, ”said the representative of the PRC.

  • Chinese ballistic missile DF-41

  • Reuters

  • © Thomas Peter

The diplomat said that China adheres to "a nuclear self-defense strategy, has always maintained its nuclear potential at the minimum level necessary to ensure national security, and has never participated and will not participate in an arms race with any other country."

Geng Shuang called the US position on the extension of START III a "trick" that Washington needs to "divert the attention of the world community."

"The intention of the United States is to find an excuse to evade its own special and main responsibility for nuclear disarmament, as well as to find an excuse to free its hands and gain absolute military superiority," the diplomat said.

Geng Shuang also recalled that in recent years the United States withdrew from a number of international agreements in the field of security, which has turned Washington into the largest threat to global strategic stability.

In particular, during the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States withdrew from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty), the Open Skies Treaty (OON) and the nuclear deal with Iran. 

In addition, Geng Shuang drew attention to Washington's attempts to create a global missile defense system and deploy ground-based medium and short-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, which, according to Beijing, undermines regional peace and global strategic stability.

Chinese factor

START III was signed by the presidents of Russia and the United States in 2010.

The agreement is valid for ten years with the possibility of extending it for another five years.

The document provided for a reduction in the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 units, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles of submarines and heavy bombers - to 700. 

START III officially entered into force on February 5, 2011.

It will expire on February 5, 2021.

If Moscow and Washington do not agree on its extension by this time, the agreement will expire.

  • Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and US President Barack Obama during the signing ceremony of the Treaty on Measures to Further Reduce and Limit Strategic Offensive Arms on April 8, 2010

  • RIA News

  • © Dmitry Astakhov

Russia has repeatedly declared its readiness to extend the START Treaty, but the US, under various pretexts, is delaying the resolution of this issue.

One of the conditions that Washington puts forward for the extension of the treaty is China's involvement in negotiations on the reduction of strategic offensive arms.

In particular, US President Donald Trump stated the need for such a step.

However, Beijing refuses to participate in this process, justifying its position by the fact that its nuclear arsenal is much smaller than that of Moscow and Washington.

At the same time, there is no publicly available information on the number of nuclear warheads in service with the PRC.

The American Arms Control Association offered its estimate, according to which China could have approximately 280 warheads in 2018. 

Russia and the United States have also repeatedly called on the UN and the EU to extend START III.

In addition, in the United States itself, part of the political elite is in favor of extending the treaty for another five years.

In particular, this was stated by the US presidential candidate from the Democratic Party Joe Biden.

However, at the moment, there has been no progress on this issue.

In October of this year, American media, citing sources in the White House, reported that the Trump administration intends to negotiate an extension of the START Treaty until the presidential election, which is scheduled for November 3.

However, there were no official comments on this score from the American leadership.

"The US leadership does not understand the whole danger"

HSE professor Dmitry Evstafiev noted that Geng Shuang's statement testifies to the consistency of Beijing's position on this issue.

“This is China's stable position for so many years.

And it is largely justified, since indeed China's nuclear arsenals are incomparable with Russian and American ones, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, Evstafiev did not rule out that at the moment China is trying to gain time in order to reduce the gap in the field of nuclear weapons.

If Beijing succeeds, then in the future, the analyst believes, China may join a new agreement on disarmament.

  • Donald Trump and Joe Biden debate

  • Reuters

  • © Brian Snyder

A similar point of view is shared by the head of the sector of economics and politics of China at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

EAT.

Primakov RAS Sergei Lukonin.

“This is a position with an element of bargaining and with an eye to the future.

Now China does not intend to do this, but in the future, conditions are likely to change, "he said in an interview with RT.

According to Yevstafiev, Washington's position on China's participation in the negotiations is not groundless, but it is half-hearted, since at the same time the US does not invite other nuclear powers to take part in this process.

“Why, in this case, not involve such states as France and Great Britain in the negotiations on nuclear arms reduction and control?

Or if we include China among the negotiators, why not get comprehensive information about the nuclear potential of Israel, India and Pakistan? "

- noted Evstafiev.

According to Lukonin, such selectivity in Washington is explained by the fact that the United States is now engaged in a global confrontation with China at all levels: from economic to military.

“US concerns about China's nuclear potential are part of an overall strategy to counter the PRC.

Beijing is their main competitor today.

Therefore, speculation around China's inclusion in the negotiations can be part of the American diplomatic game, ”the expert says.

According to Evstafiev, the US administration can really try to achieve a breakthrough in the issue of extending START III in the time remaining before the elections, as this will bring Trump additional points in the eyes of voters.

“For Trump, it is fundamentally important to show, in an environment where he still lags behind Biden, that he is the only one who can talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and achieve results.

For him, this is important exclusively from the image point of view, so he, perhaps, will force this issue, ”the analyst believes.

At the same time, the experts noted that the only party that adheres to a truly constructive and consistent position on the extension of START III is Russia.

“Apparently, the current US leadership does not understand the full danger of unleashing a new nuclear arms race.

The fact that Russia has consistently advocated the extension of the START Treaty suggests that there are people in the leadership of the Russian Federation who understand what a probable war is, what nuclear weapons are, and what problems on a global scale may arise if this issue is not resolved now " , - concluded Sergey Lukonin.