Nuclear non-proliferation
Washington is ready to discuss “unconditionally” with Moscow and Beijing
A White House adviser says the US is ready to respect nuclear weapons limits. In the face of Russia and China, competition should not degenerate into conflict.
Published
The U.S. government is willing to discuss non-proliferation with China “without preconditions,” while Beijing has so far indicated “no interest” in doing so.
Reuters
“We are entering a new era and it requires new tactics”: A senior adviser to US President Joe Biden on Friday detailed US strategy in terms of nuclear weapons, stressing the willingness to negotiate with Russia and China.
The United States is willing to respect limits on the number of nuclear weapons under the New Start Nonproliferation Treaty, which binds it to Moscow, “as long as Russia does the same,” National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan said. White House.
Russia has suspended participation in the accord, the last bilateral agreement to bind the two old Cold War rivals. The deal expires in 2026, but the US is “ready” to discuss with Russia what happens after that date.
Jack Sullivan emphasized that any discussion of non-proliferation after the expiration of the New Beginning Treaty must take into account the growth of China’s arsenal. Despite high tensions between the two superpowers, he pledged that the US administration is ready to discuss non-proliferation with China “without preconditions”, while Beijing has “not yet shown a willingness to do so.
He reiterated that ‘competition’ must not degenerate into ‘conflict’, the mantra of the Biden administration when it comes to relations with China, which recently rejected Washington’s invitation for a ministerial meeting.
Washington has no arms race
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China has 350 nuclear warheads — second only to Russia (4,477) and the United States (3,708). But Beijing could have 1,500 by 2035, according to Washington.
China, so far, has been unwilling to communicate with the United States about the “size” of its arsenal or its policy on the matter, Jake Sullivan underscored. However, according to an adviser to Joe Biden, Washington does not want to engage in an arms race.
The US is “modernizing” its nuclear arsenal, he said, but “doesn’t need to increase it”. America’s mission, in his opinion, is not to exceed the number of warships their rivals possess. When it comes to nuclear deterrence, Washington’s strategy is not “more, but better.”
Deepening dialogue among the five nuclear powers
Jack Sullivan called for deepening multilateral dialogue between the five nuclear powers and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom and Russia, a group also known as the “P5.” For example, he ruled that the common system of mutual warning in this group on missile launches was “common sense.”
“It’s a small step to reduce the risk of misinterpretation in times of crisis,” said Jake Sullivan, who also discussed threats posed by North Korea and Iran’s nuclear program.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu held a brief exchange at a conference on defense in Singapore on Friday, falling short of the resumption of dialogue that Washington wanted. They shook hands, but there were no “substantial exchanges,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said.
The United States invited Li Shangfu to meet with Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the conference, but China declined the invitation. The Pentagon said it believes in keeping lines of communication open and will “continue to seek meaningful military-to-military discussions at all levels to responsibly manage the relationship.”
(AFP)
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