China has suspended its nuclear non-proliferation and arms control negotiations with the United States in response to Washington’s continued arms sales to Taiwan. This move, announced by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlights the escalating tensions between the two nations over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China claims as its territory.
The US, expressing regret over China’s decision, termed it “unfortunate” and noted that the suspension could pose a significant setback to global arms-control efforts. The nuclear weapons discussions, which began in November as a trust-building measure ahead of a summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, have seen no public advancements since then.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, stated that the US arms sales to Taiwan had “seriously compromised the political atmosphere for continuing the arms-control consultations.” Consequently, China has decided to suspend discussions on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations with the US. Lin emphasized that the responsibility for this suspension lies entirely with the US and called for respect towards China’s core interests to create conducive conditions for dialogue.
The US, while officially recognizing Beijing over Taipei since 1979, remains Taiwan’s most crucial partner and primary arms supplier, a stance that has repeatedly drawn condemnation from China. Taiwan has reported increased Chinese military activity near the island, including daily missions by Chinese warplanes and warships, intensifying its security concerns.
In June, the US approved two military sales to Taiwan worth approximately $300 million, primarily for spare and repair parts for Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets. This action has exacerbated the strained relations between the US and China.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized China’s suspension of talks, likening it to Russia’s stance that arms-control discussions cannot progress amid other bilateral challenges. He warned that this approach undermines strategic stability and increases the risk of an arms race. The US remains open to developing and implementing concrete risk-reduction measures with China, Miller added.
The Biden administration’s policy of “compartmentalization” aims to separate nuclear arms control discussions from other contentious issues in Sino-US relations. However, the Chinese decision to suspend talks underscores the challenges of this approach.
The move comes shortly after the Biden administration indicated that the US might need to deploy more strategic nuclear weapons to counter growing threats from Chinese and Russian arsenals. Experts like Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, emphasized the legal obligation of the US, Russia, and China as signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to engage in talks to prevent an arms race. He described the suspension as a serious setback.
Currently, the US has a stockpile of about 3,700 nuclear warheads, with roughly 1,419 strategic nuclear warheads deployed. Russia has about 1,550 deployed nuclear weapons and a stockpile of approximately 4,489 warheads. The US estimates that China has 500 operational nuclear warheads, with projections suggesting it could exceed 1,000 by 2030.
US officials have expressed frustration over Beijing’s reluctance to engage in discussions aimed at reducing nuclear weapons risks, while Beijing has argued that the US’s larger arsenal necessitates a different approach to arms control.
