Chinese Urgency for US and Russia to Lead Nuclear Disarmament and Trim Defense Spending

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed recent reports suggesting that US President Donald Trump wants to engage in talks with Chinese and Russian leaders about restarting nuclear arms control negotiations, with a long-term goal of jointly slashing defense spending. According to these reports, Trump envisions a scenario where nuclear arms control talks resume and all three nuclear-armed nations cooperate to significantly reduce their large military expenditures.

Guo stressed that the global community widely acknowledges that the US and Russia possess over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, making them chiefly responsible for leading nuclear disarmament efforts. He argued that any move towards reducing nuclear armaments must be firmly rooted in principles that safeguard global strategic stability and protect the security interests of all nations, and he urged these two powers to notably lower their nuclear stockpiles as a precedent for other nations.

In outlining China's stance, Guo reiterated that Beijing strictly adheres to a no-first-use nuclear policy and follows a defensive nuclear strategy. China maintains only the minimal nuclear capability necessary for national security, deliberately avoiding an arms race, and remains open to collaborating with other countries under a multilateral arms control framework centered around the United Nations.

Guo also highlighted the stark differences in defense spending between the United States and China. He noted that in 2024, US military spending accounted for 40 percent of the global total, and that the US is set to further increase its defense budget to nearly $895 billion according to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. Guo criticized the "America First" approach by suggesting that the US should lead by example and prioritize reducing its military expenditure.

He concluded by emphasizing that China's defense spending is transparent, reasonable, and modest relative to its GDP and other economic metrics. Guo reiterated that China's focus on peaceful development and a strictly defensive national security policy has allowed it to act as a stabilizing force in a turbulent global arena, all while effectively safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests.