According to President Biden’s national security adviser, the White House will make another attempt to involve China in arms control talks and establish a global agreement that prohibits the use of artificial intelligence programs to authorize the use of nuclear weapons without human involvement. Jake Sullivan’s speech was the first to outline Mr. Biden’s plans to address a world where “cracks in our post-Cold War nuclear foundation are substantial.” However, the solutions he proposed were primarily aimed at maintaining nuclear deterrence by supplementing America’s deployed arsenal of 1,550 weapons with new technologies, rather than engaging in renewed arms races.
Mr. Sullivan explicitly addressed the American response to China’s rapid military buildup, which the Pentagon claims could result in the deployment of up to 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035, a fivefold increase from the “minimum deterrent” it has had for nearly 60 years. If Beijing reaches that number, America’s two biggest nuclear adversaries would have a combined force of over 3,000 strategic weapons capable of reaching the United States.
However, Mr. Sullivan argued that the U.S. arsenal does not need to “outnumber the combined total of our competitors” to remain an effective deterrent. “It’s important to recognize that when it comes to the issue of the growing nuclear capacity of both Russia and China, that deterrence has to be comprehensive,” he said. “We believe in the current context, we have the number and type of capabilities today that we need.”
Despite his efforts to involve China in arms control talks, it is unlikely that he will succeed anytime soon. Chinese officials have refused to discuss agreements limiting their work on nuclear weapons. Tensions between the United States and China have remained high after months of rancor and frozen high-level contacts. Although Beijing has returned to the table on some issues, it has taken an even tougher stance on others, complicating the “thaw” in U.S.-China relations that Mr. Biden predicted in May. China has questioned Washington’s sincerity in saying it wants a warmer relationship.
Mr. Sullivan stated that the administration would attempt to revive arms control discussions among the nuclear-armed members of the United Nations Security Council, which includes China, and encourage them to embrace agreements on basic issues that can prevent accidental conflict, such as advance notification of missile tests. The United States has established such agreements with the Soviet Union and renewed them with Russia, but there is no parallel accord with China.
Mr. Sullivan delivered his speech at the annual meeting of the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan group that advocates nuclear nonproliferation…
2023-06-02 20:41:29
Original from www.nytimes.com
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