Under the above title, Viktor Peruzhenko wrote, in “Известия”, about Washington’s attempts to link Beijing to strategic arms limitation agreements.

In an article by Peruzhenko, an expert at the Center for Intercultural Research, Huzhou University in China:

After the meeting of the leaders of the United States and China, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, via the Internet, in America, at various levels, discussions began on involving China in the strategic stability negotiations.

Discussions on this topic began with a statement by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that the two sides agreed during the summit to try to “begin discussing issues of strategic stability.” Sullivan did not provide any details of potential talks and when they would begin. But in early November, the Pentagon, in its report to the US Congress on the state of China’s nuclear weapons, expressed concern about the growth of China’s nuclear power.

It is noteworthy that neither side, in the official reports on the meeting of the two leaders, mentioned strategic stability in the list of issues raised in the discussion. Most likely, this issue was brought up by the American side directly during the meeting. In China, they talk about the assumption that the leaders of the two countries did not reach a consensus on this issue.

In this context, what might Sullivan’s statement mean?

In fact, it very clearly reveals US interests and motives: the involvement of the People’s Republic of China in strategic arms control negotiations constitutes an attempt to weaken China’s strategic deterrence capacity in the event of US military expansion in the Western Pacific. In the context of the growing confrontation with Beijing over Taiwan, Washington’s efforts to reduce China’s strategic forces (not just nuclear) have become more active.

If China participates in such negotiations, the United States can solve another important issue for itself, which is to know the exact data about the size and characteristics of the Chinese nuclear arsenal, since talking about reducing nuclear weapons implies the disclosure of relevant information.