China now has 500 warheads and is building its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, think tank says
Business InsiderJUN 2024
Report: US, China Held First Informal Nuclear Talks in Five Years
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The Spin
Anti-China narrative
The Chinese assurance that Beijing will not offensively use nuclear weapons against Taiwan is good news. However, such talks cannot replace formal negotiations, and the reality is that China recently rejected US efforts to resume bilateral arms control talks. Moreover, Beijing's claim to maintain a no-first-use policy is increasingly at odds with its growing nuclear stockpile. To make the world safer, China needs to enter into basic negotiations to avoid the risks of uncontrolled nuclear escalation.
Pro-China narrative
The talks may be an encouraging sign, but the reporting paints a biased picture. It's the US that is fueling the nuclear race and engaging in nuclear saber-rattling to allegedly "protect" Taiwan. Moreover, Washington dismissed PRC calls for a no-first-use treaty between nuclear powers, while holding many times more nuclear warheads than China. Beijing remains convinced that the only way to avoid the danger of an apocalyptic disaster is through nuclear disarmament.