This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
On July 8, 2020, China announced its willingness to participate in arms control negotiations with the United States, with a major caveat: Washington must reduce its nuclear arsenal to a much smaller size than Beijing's.
China's foreign ministry director general, Fu Cong, accused the US of using its stance as a 'ploy' to leave the New START treaty and increase its nuclear program.
However, the US saw this as an opportunity for dialogue and diplomacy, with State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus saying, "We will all bring different perspectives and objectives to the negotiating table and will surely have disagreements."
Ortagus added, "But it is time for dialogue and diplomacy between the three biggest nuclear weapons powers on how to prevent a new arms race."
