The United States met with a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday and will meet with a Chinese delegation on Tuesday for talks on developing a potential multilateral nuclear arms control treaty, a senior US State Department official said, according to Reuters, writes UNN.
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The United States is calling for a new, broader arms control treaty that would include both China and Russia after the expiration of an agreement limiting the deployment of American and Russian missiles and warheads, known as New START.
China's Ambassador for Disarmament, Shen Jian, said earlier this month that his country would not participate in new nuclear arms control talks with Moscow and Washington at this stage. It is not yet clear whether Tuesday's talks will include formal negotiations.
The permanent missions of China and Russia in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Earlier in February, the United States said that China had conducted a secret nuclear test in June 2020, which Shen Jian vehemently denied.
The official said they had already held fruitful bilateral talks with the United Kingdom and France, which are also members of the UN Security Council.
"Moving to discussions with the five permanent members of the Security Council would be the next logical step," they said, adding that they were optimistic.
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