China postpones weapons control discussions with Washington
Date
7/18/2024 4:39:11 AM
(MENAFN) China has announced a suspension of arms control discussions with the United States, citing ongoing weapon sales to Taiwan as a primary reason for its decision. The move marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two global powers, complicating efforts to ease bilateral relations amid longstanding geopolitical disputes.
The decision, confirmed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian during a press conference in Beijing, underscores Beijing's displeasure with Washington's recent arms sales to Taiwan. Lin emphasized that these actions by the United States have severely undermined China's core interests and mutual trust, making it untenable to proceed with further arms control consultations.
"The responsibility lies entirely with the United States," Lin stated, pointing to continued United States arms exports to Taiwan despite China's strong opposition and repeated protests. Over the past months, the US has reportedly approved significant weapons sales amounting to over a billion dollars, including advanced drones like the Altius-600M and Switchblade kamikaze drones, which prompted retaliatory sanctions from Beijing against United States defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
The suspension comes after a period of relative thawing in United States-China relations, marked by a long-awaited round of nuclear non-proliferation talks in November—the first of their kind since 2018. While these talks aimed to reduce tensions, China's decision to halt further negotiations indicates a setback in efforts to find common ground on strategic issues and arms control.
The political atmosphere for continuing arms control discussions has been "seriously compromised" by recent United States actions, Lin noted, highlighting the challenge of maintaining stability and trust in bilateral relations amidst ongoing regional tensions and military posturing.
The development is likely to further strain diplomatic efforts between Beijing and Washington, raising concerns about the broader implications for regional stability in East Asia and beyond.
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