Obviously that the term of START ( Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) treaty, which was signed between Moscow and Washington ten years ago, will be expired in next year. Russia has been attempting to hold negotiations with the White House to extend the term of that treaty. However, Trump administration doesn’t have seem yet to have the intention to take part in negotiations with Russian officials on the signature of the new START treaty lead to the strengthening of international security.
One of the reasons that's why the US does not have the intention to participate in negotiations is China. Trump administration has concerns over China’s nuclear arsenals and supports the format of trilateral negotiations. The US demands Moscow to make China involve in the discussions on the reduction of nuclear-powered weapons.
American expert Dennis Etler shared his views with EDNews.net regarding the arrangement of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
According to the view of Dennis Etler, the strategic nuclear arms China possesses are not threat to the United States.
“The US concern over China's strategic nuclear arms is not based on any threat they constitute for US national security. China is the only nuclear state that has declared no first use of nuclear weapons, a position that neither the US nor Russia adheres to,” said Etler said.
“The Chinese nuclear arsenal is purely defensive in nature and serves as a deterrent to the US using nuclear weapons as a means to bully China into submission. Both the US and Russian nuclear arsenal far outstrips than China,” he added.
American expert considered that China's nuclear warheads are more comparable in number to those of India, Pakistan, and the undeclared nuclear weapons that Israel possesses.
“In terms of equity, all nuclear powers, including Israel, should be included in negotiations and the goal should be complete parity, requiring both the US and Russia to reduce their armaments to the lowest common denominator. Without these preconditions, any new START treaty including China is simply a false start,” Etler noted.
In his opinion, China should not and will not participate in negotiations with Russia and the US for a new START Treaty, because the disparity between its nuclear arsenal and that of the other two superpowers is far great.
“The only way China would ever participate would be on the basis of complete and total reciprocity, something to which the US will never agree,” Etler stressed.
“The US will never consent to reduce its nuclear arsenal to the level of China's nuclear arms, so the question is moot,” he added.