US media outlet CNN says that the administration of US President Donald Trump has discussed beginning reciprocal nuclear site visits with Beijing amid concerns over China’s rapid military buildup.
CNN on Tuesday quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying that the idea was initially proposed by China earlier this year.
The source reportedly said visits to the US Department of Energy national labs and to China’s equivalent facilities were discussed by officials. The source was also quoted as saying the US would be open to discussing visits to nuclear testing sites.
In September, the White House announced that Trump advocated for trilateral arms control negotiations between the United States, Russia and China. But CNN quoted a US official as saying Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not discuss the possibility of site visits during their summit talks last month.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has said in its latest report that the US was estimated to have 5,042 nuclear warheads, while China likely has 620.
The US Defense Department released a report last year saying that China is on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
Source: www3.nhk.or.jp
