China Declines Trump's Proposal to Enter Denuclearization Discussions with U.S. and Russia

China has officially stated its refusal to join in nuclear disarmament negotiations with the United States and Russia, a request recently reiterated by President Trump.

In comments made by Trump on Monday, he expressed the United States' ambition to advance towards nuclear disarmament alongside both nations.

Trump remarked to the press at the White House, 'Denuclearization is an expansive goal. Russia is open to the idea, and I’m optimistic that China will also show willingness.'

He further explained, 'The spread of nuclear weapons cannot be allowed, and we must put a halt to it.'

Russia and the United States dominate global nuclear weapon counts, together holding nearly 90% of all nuclear arms.

Responding to Trump's request, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, conveyed on Wednesday that expecting China to join trilateral nuclear disarmament talks with the U.S. and Russia is both 'irrational and impracticable.'

Guo emphasized to journalists, 'The nuclear capacities of China and the U.S. are entirely on different scales.'

He added that nations with vast nuclear stockpiles should sincerely assume the primary role in nuclear disarmament.

While Beijing supports general disarmament, it has consistently rebuffed invitations from the United States to partake in negotiations chiefly involving the U.S. and Russia.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's 2024 estimates show the U.S. with 3,708 nuclear warheads and Russia with 4,380. China has increased its arsenal to 500, which is up by 90 from the preceding year.

China asserts it upholds its nuclear forces at a baseline necessary for national defense and refrains from joining an arms competition with any nation.

Relations between the U.S. and Russia remain strained due to ongoing issues, with limited progress or public discourse reported on their nuclear arsenal negotiations.

In 2023, Putin announced Russia's withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) as a reciprocal measure since the U.S. had only signed but never ratified it.

The CTBT, initiated in 1996, aims to halt all nuclear test explosions globally. Yet, it lacks full enforcement, as it has not been ratified by several countries, including China, India, and Pakistan.