US holds nuclear talks with Russia and China in Geneva

Nuclear: Washington holds talks with Moscow and Beijing in Geneva Keystone-SDA

The United States is holding talks in Geneva with Russia and China on nuclear issues following the expiry of the New Start agreement. On Monday the US repeated accusations against Beijing regarding tests in 2020 before the Conference on Disarmament (CD).

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A US delegation met with Russia in Geneva on Monday, a senior US State Department official told journalists in the evening, also in Geneva. It will meet Chinese representatives on Tuesday.

Just over a fortnight ago, Thomas DiNanno, Under Secretary of State for Disarmament, accused China in front of the CD of having conducted hidden nuclear tests in 2020. According to US estimates, China could have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, double the current number.

DiNanno said the United States wanted a multilateral agreement to replace the New Start nuclear arms control treaty with Moscow, particularly in order to involve China. An initial discussion had taken place the same day in Washington with each of these countries.

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But Beijing believes that it is nowhere near the volume of American and Russian nuclear weapons. “The United States continues to exaggerate China’s nuclear threat,” the Chinese ambassador to the CD told DiNanno in Geneva, repeating this position. He felt that his country had always shown “restraint” and asked Washington to “stop making accusations without proof”.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing

On Monday, again before the CD, Assistant Secretary of State for Disarmament Christopher Yeaw said Washington had received “broad support” for its proposal for multilateral negotiations. He reiterated the US allegations against China. To which Beijing replied that the United States was using its accusations as an excuse to resume its nuclear tests.

Under no circumstances, said Yeaw. “Perhaps China wants parity with the United States, perhaps with Russia”, which would be even more “destabilising”, he said. He explained that new American tests, announced by President Donald Trump, would be equal to those of China, underground and with an equivalent yield.

Washington is considering all diplomatic formats. The next stage could be between the permanent members of the UN Security Council. “We are optimistic,” added the senior official. In his view, “the time has come” for China to comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to talk “in good faith”. “They have been reluctant to do so for decades,” he said.

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Adapted from French by AI/ts

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