China 'will not participate' in Trump's proposed three-way nuclear talks

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

China 'will not participate' in Trump's proposed three-way nuclear talks

By Ben Westcott, CNN
Updated 0310 GMT (1110 HKT) May 7, 2019

Hong Kong (CNN) — China won't take part in three-way nuclear talks with the United States and Russia, a government spokesman said Monday, potentially scuttling plans by the Trump administration for a grand nuclear deal between the three nations.

CNN reported in April that US President Donald Trump had been privately eying the possibility of a new pact with Russia and China, after previously describing the New START nuclear agreement with Moscow as a "bad deal."

Multiple White House officials told CNN that Trump's team was looking into options for a new nuclear treaty after New START expires in 2021 which would involve China and "include all the weapons, all the warheads, all the missiles."

Trump said on Friday he had spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese government about a potential three-way agreement, a move which administration officials said could be one of his signature foreign policy achievements.

-snip-

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/asia/us-china-russia-nuclear-deal-intl/index.html

[comradebillyboy]

1. Looks like China has decided not to play ball with Trump on

much of anything at the moment. Trump is losing his trade war.

[soryang]

2. This seems about par for this administration

"The only reason you bring up China is if you have no intention of extending the New START Treaty," said Alexandra Bell, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.