US and China discussing reciprocal nuclear site visits amid concerns about a new arms race

Xi did not leave the door open to discussing a trilateral agreement, pointing to the US and Russian nuclear arsenals being larger than China’s – a point that Chinese officials have routinely used to shield themselves from any discussions that could lead to limiting their nuclear stockpile before they are on par with the US, the official added.

President Donald Trump expressed support for trilateral arms control negotiations between the US, Russia and China when he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month, but they didn’t discuss the possibility of site s during their talks, a US official said.

Paul Dean, who previously served as an acting assistant secretary of state overseeing US arms control efforts, told CNN that the administration needs to approach any Chinese nuclear negotiations with its “eyes wide open,” but said that reciprocal s would be “an extremely valuable confidence-building measure” that could lay the informational and diplomatic foundation for additional work to reduce nuclear risk between the two countries.