WASHINGTON, January 9. /TASS/. US demands regarding China’s participation in consultations on reducing nuclear arsenals are unreasonable and divorced from reality, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the US Liu Pengyu told TASS, commenting on remarks by US President Donald Trump that China, in his view, should be included alongside Russia and the United States in potential future agreements on nuclear arms control.
"We noted relevant reports. The country sitting on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal should earnestly fulfill its special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, further make drastic and substantive cuts to its nuclear arsenal, and create conditions for the ultimate realization of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament," he said.
"China’s nuclear strength is by no means on the same level with that of the US. Our nuclear policy and strategic security environment are also completely different. It’s neither reasonable nor realistic to ask China to join the nuclear disarmament negotiations with the US and Russia," the diplomat added.
Liu Pengyu stressed that "China follows a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense. China always keeps its nuclear strength at the minimum level required by national security, and never engages in arms race with anyone. China’s nuclear strength and nuclear policy contribute to world peace.".