It is not right timing for China to join US-Russia arms control talks: Chinese ambassador

WASHINGTON -- China's nuclear power is not at the same level as that of the United States and Russia, and it is not yet the right timing for China to join their nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said.

"All over the world, the United States and Russia have the largest nuclear arsenal ... this is international consensus. So they should take the lead in international nuclear disarmament," said Cui in an online interview with Nicholas Burns, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent of NBC News, while attending the 2020 Aspen Security Forum on Aug 4.

"China has a very small amount of nuclear weapons. It's not at the same level. We are far behind the US and Russia," Cui said.

Only when the United States is ready to reduce its arsenal to the size of China's can both sides begin real negotiation, he said, adding, "I hope we could be given a very convincing answer."

Noting that the United States and Russia are having "very important negotiations" on some existing nuke control treaties, such as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Cui said the treaties are "extremely important for international strategic stability."

"We hope these treaties could continue," he said.