GENEVA — The United States has accused China of rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons program and urged Beijing to join a future international arms-control agreement. The statement was delivered during a disarmament conference at the headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, following the expiration of the New START treaty between Washington and Moscow.
American officials described the end of the agreement as an opportunity to negotiate a broader framework that would reflect today’s geopolitical realities — particularly China’s growing military capabilities. Beijing, however, has repeatedly rejected calls for trilateral negotiations, arguing that its arsenal remains far smaller than those of the United States and Russia.
Concerns Over Rapid Nuclear Growth
U.S. representatives stated that China is building nuclear capabilities at an unprecedented pace and without transparency. According to American estimates, Beijing could possess enough fissile material to produce more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030 — bringing it significantly closer to the traditional nuclear superpowers.
The New START treaty had limited deployed strategic warheads in the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 each. Washington now argues that the strategic environment has fundamentally changed. Alongside Russia’s modernization efforts, China’s emergence as a military power is reshaping global deterrence dynamics.
Officials also suggested that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing could accelerate technological development, potentially undermining the long-standing balance of nuclear deterrence.
End of a Nuclear Control Era
With New START expired, for the first time in decades there is no binding agreement restricting the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. Inspection regimes and transparency mechanisms that helped reduce misunderstandings during crises have effectively disappeared.
Washington insists its objective is not an arms race but a modernized security architecture. A future treaty, diplomats say, should include multiple nuclear-armed states and address emerging technologies such as hypersonic delivery systems and advanced missile platforms.
China counters that it should not be subject to identical restrictions while maintaining a much smaller arsenal, framing U.S. proposals as disproportionate.
A More Dangerous Strategic Landscape
Security analysts increasingly describe the world as entering a multipolar nuclear era. Instead of two dominant superpowers maintaining a predictable balance, multiple actors and advanced weapons systems now influence global stability.
Without renewed agreements, experts warn, mistrust could grow and crisis escalation risks may increase. American officials emphasized that their long-term goal remains “a world with fewer nuclear weapons” — but acknowledged that such a goal is unlikely without China’s participation.
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