China has expressed hope that the United States will respond positively to Russia’s constructive proposal regarding follow-up arrangements for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and take concrete steps to safeguard global strategic stability, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The New START treaty, signed by Russia and the United States in 2010, is scheduled to expire on Feb. 5, 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September 2025 that Russia would continue to observe the core limits of the treaty for one year after its expiration, on the condition that the United States refrains from actions that could undermine the existing strategic balance.
Responding to a question about Washington’s expressed interest in China joining nuclear arms control negotiations, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s long-standing position on trilateral nuclear arms control talks involving China, the United States and Russia.
Lin said China’s nuclear capabilities are not comparable in scale to those of the United States, stressing that at the current stage, calls for China to participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations are neither fair nor reasonable.