BEIJING, August 21. /TASS/. The United States is using the theory of a Chinese nuclear threat as a pretext to evade its nuclear disarmament obligations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has told a news briefing.

"The facts prove that the US has been fanning the theory of a so-called Chinese nuclear threat in recent years, which is just a pretext for Washington to evade its nuclear disarmament obligations, to expand its nuclear arsenal and pursue an overwhelming strategic advantage," she said, commenting on reports that US President Joe Biden in March approved a secret strategic nuclear plan, which for the first time mentioned the deterrence of China amid the growth of its nuclear arsenals.

Mao also highlighted the gap between Beijing’s and Washington’s nuclear capabilities and outlined China's commitment to a no-first-use policy and nuclear self-defense strategy.

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump previously speculated that China would surpass the United States in the size of its nuclear arsenal as a result of its current buildup. In July 2023, NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated that China by 2035 would have 1,500 nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching European countries and the United States.

On June 8, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States told TASS that the United States was engaged in undermining the nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime while having the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world.