China says termination of US-Russia arms deal regrettable

China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday (Feb 5, 2026) regretted the termination of the US-Russia arms deal and urged the US to resume dialogue with Russia on “strategic stability”. NEW START The deal closed at the end of Wednesday (February 4, 2026). It marks the end of half a century of limits on strategic nuclear weapons on both sides. Russia on Wednesday (Feb 4, 2026) said it was open to security talks but would firmly confront any new “threats”.

“China regrets the termination of the New START Treaty, as the treaty is of great importance to maintaining global strategic stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

“The international community is generally concerned that termination of the treaty will have a negative impact on the international nuclear arms control system and the global nuclear order.”

Russia has suggested that both sides continue to respect the agreement’s key limits, and China’s foreign ministry urged Washington to respond constructively.

“China calls on the United States to respond positively, deal responsibly with treaty compliance arrangements, and resume strategic stability dialogue with Russia as soon as possible. This is the general expectation of the international community,” Mr. Lin said.

China’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated that it strictly adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense.

“China has consistently adhered to a self-defense nuclear strategy, adhered to the no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons, and made unconditional commitments not to use or threaten nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones,” Mr Lin said.

Mr. Lin said its nuclear forces were smaller than those of Washington and Moscow and reiterated that it would not be included in their bilateral arms-reduction talks.

“China’s nuclear forces are not at the same level as the United States and Russia, and China will not participate in disarmament negotiations at this stage,” Mr. Lin said.

The White House said this week that President Donald Trump will decide the way forward on nuclear arms control, which he will “clarify on his own timeline”.