In response to DiNanno's accusations, Chinese disarmament ambassador Shen Jian did not directly comment on these statements. He stated that China adheres to a "moderate and responsible" approach to nuclear weapons and accused the U.S. of escalating the arms race. The Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Robert Floyd, added that during the specified period, the monitoring system did not detect any suspicious activities. Although China signed this treaty, it has not yet ratified it.
These discussions are taking place against the backdrop of the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), signed in 2010 between Russia and the U.S., marking the first time since 1972 that Moscow and Washington have been without limits on the deployment of nuclear warheads and missiles. U.S. President Donald Trump previously suggested not extending this treaty and instead negotiating a new, more modern one that would necessarily involve China.
The Chinese side emphasizes that it does not plan to participate in such negotiations, pointing out that China has about 600 nuclear warheads, while Russia and the U.S. each have approximately 4,000.
