By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. met a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday and will meet a Chinese delegation on Tuesday for talks about forging a potential multilateral
U.S. Meets Russia, Plans China Talks in Geneva on Nuclear Arms Control
By Olivia Le Poidevin
Multilateral Nuclear Arms Control Talks in Geneva
GENEVA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. met a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday and will meet a Chinese delegation on Tuesday for talks about forging a potential multilateral nuclear arms control treaty, a senior U.S. State Department official said.
U.S. Push for a Broader Treaty
The U.S. has called for a new, broader arms control treaty that would bring in China as well as Russia, after the agreement limiting U.S. and Russian missile and warhead deployments, known as New START, expired.
China’s Stance on Participation
China's ambassador for disarmament, Shen Jian, said earlier this month that his country would not participate in new negotiations for nuclear arms control with Moscow and Washington at this stage. It was not immediately clear whether Tuesday's talks would involve formal negotiations.
No Immediate Comment From Missions
The Chinese and Russian permanent missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Beijing Denies 2020 Test Allegation
Earlier in February, the U.S. said China had conducted a secret nuclear test in June 2020, which Shen unequivocally denied.
Talks With the UK and France
Allied Consultations and P5 Focus
The senior U.S. official said they had already conducted good bilateral talks with the UK and France, which are also members of the U.N. Security Council.
"Taking discussions to the five permanent members of the Security Council was the next logical step," they stated, adding that they were optimistic.
Reporting and Editing Credits
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Nia Williams)
