(CP) WASHINGTON: Reported by Ethan Carter.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has once again urged the U.S. to take the lead on denuclearization, warning its strategic rival to avoid forming “nuclear alliances.”
This statement comes after U.S. officials expressed concerns about China’s rapid nuclear expansion, which analysts believe is a key move by President Xi Jinping to counterbalance Washington’s increasing presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Former President Trump has advocated for trilateral nuclear disarmament talks, urging China and Russia to join the U.S.—the world’s largest defense spender—in discussions aimed at reducing nuclear arsenals and military budgets by up to 50%.
While in Moscow on Tuesday, Wang Yi addressed nuclear issues as part of a broader critique of U.S. policies, which also included U.S. tariffs and accusations regarding China’s role in the production of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
Wang emphasized that China adheres to a no-first-use nuclear policy and maintains a nuclear arsenal that is only as large as necessary for national defense, as reported by Russian state media.
He dismissed President Trump’s call for trilateral disarmament talks, labeling the proposal “unfair and unrealistic.” Wang also urged the U.S., with its superior nuclear arsenal, to reduce its reliance on nuclear deterrence in its global security strategy.
In addition, Wang called on the U.S. to cease forming “nuclear alliances” and to withdraw from global missile defense deployments, particularly those involving intermediate-range missile systems close to other nations’ borders. He was likely referring to the U.S. strategy of extended deterrence, which includes the nuclear umbrella protecting allies, including China’s neighbors, Japan and South Korea.
Beijing has repeatedly criticized the U.S. for deploying its Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines during joint drills in 2024. This system, known as “Typhon,” can launch Tomahawk missiles, bringing significant parts of China’s eastern coast within range.
In a recent phone call, Trump reportedly proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin the idea of reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles—currently the largest and second-largest in the world—by up to 50%. Putin suggested that China, with the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal (about 600 warheads), could potentially join future arms reduction talks. China rejected this offer, advising the U.S. to focus on “America First” in its arms reduction approach.
In a February article for Foreign Policy, Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, warned that without clear communication about new missile deployments, the U.S. risks increasing fears in China and North Korea. This, they argued, could raise the likelihood of deliberate nuclear action by either or both of these nations. They urged U.S. leaders to take responsibility for providing strategic guidance to the military and making decisions regarding missile deployment.
The U.S. is unlikely to agree to any significant reduction in its nuclear forces without reciprocal commitments from other major nuclear powers, including China and Russia. Any progress on such negotiations is expected to be delayed by the current administration’s stalled efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
A Pentagon report from December projected that China will have over 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030, raising concerns in Washington that China is shifting away from its traditionally restrained nuclear stance.