This is how Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded to comments made by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Security Council Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The diplomat affirmed that ‘the United States wants to engage in bilateral arms control talks with Russia and China now, without preconditions,’ and all that is needed is that they accept it and sit down at the table in good faith, she added.

Lin stressed that Beijing and Washington have channels for talks on arms control and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and that the US side “should abandon microphone diplomacy”.

The spokeswoman reiterated that the most important thing at this time for carrying forward the international arms control process is ‘that the countries with the largest nuclear arsenals fulfill their special, priority nuclear disarmament commitments and continue to significantly reduce their arsenals’.

Lin said that this would create the conditions for other nuclear-armed states to join the multilateral negotiations on the issue.

“There is a broad consensus on this in the international community,’ the Foreign Ministry spokesperson added.

The United States and China held talks on arms control and non-proliferation last November.

Beijing warned on several occasions that Washington is trying to overstate the alleged ‘Chinese threat’ and warned about the U.S. nation’s military power.

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