China and US set for first nuclear non-proliferation talks in years

China and the United States are preparing for a significant discussion on arms control and nuclear non-proliferation next week. This marks the first time in over four years that such a dialogue is taking place. The Chinese delegation will be spearheaded by Sun Xiaobo, the head of the foreign ministry's arms control department. This information was relayed to the public by Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the ministry, during a press conference on Thursday.

Representing the United States will be Mallory Stewart, the assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification, and compliance. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal. The office that Stewart oversees is tasked with monitoring the adherence of other nations to arms control commitments. The last time such a dialogue occurred was in Beijing in July 2019. During that time, Sun's predecessor, Fu Cong, met with Christopher Ford, the acting undersecretary of state for international security and non-proliferation. Officials in charge of arms control from both nations also convened in Beijing in 2016.

Wang, the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated on Thursday: 'China and the US will discuss a broad range of topics, including non-proliferation, as mandated by international arms control treaties. ' This meeting is part of a series of discussions that were agreed upon during last week's talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Other discussions will address issues such as maritime affairs and disability rights. Preparations underway at the St Regis Beijing suggest that the hotel will be the venue for the first talks on maritime issues between the two nations on Friday.