Editorial | Resumption of US-China talks on nuclear arms is a step in right direction
- Meeting between China and the US is not only about avoiding doomsday, but a show of joint leadership that can bring a troubled world to a better place
China and the United States may be the biggest nuclear powers along with Russia but, thanks to bilateral tensions, they have not discussed arms control and non-proliferation since 2019.
Such worrying lack of dialogue on nuclear security will be put right at a meeting this week.
The two sides are unlikely to reach any agreements. But that they are talking again is positive for understanding and transparency in managing the risks of conflict or accident.
It is a significant example of the widening thaw in bilateral relations ahead of a summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Apec meeting beginning this weekend.
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The Chinese delegation to the nuclear talks in Washington will be led by foreign ministry arms control official Sun Xiaobo. The US is expected to be represented by Mallory Stewart, the assistant secretary of state for arms control.
It is part of a series of meetings agreed after last week’s talks between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.