Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on 16 October that asking Beijing to take part in such talks is unfair and unreasonable: China's nuclear forces are not comparable in scale to the American and Russian ones.
The country with the largest arsenal, she added, should bear special responsibility for disarmament. The statement followed Trump's remarks that Washington is holding consultations with China and Russia on denuclearisation. According to SIPRI's estimate as of January 2026, China has about 620 warheads, the US 5,042 and Russia 5,420. Beijing is not using this formula for the first time: it was voiced at a briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on 3 February 2026.
Sources: Anadolu (citing Global Times); Chinese Foreign Ministry.
