In a recent interview, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Yuri Ulyanov, made it clear that Russia does not expect China to join strategic arms negotiations and has no intention of pressuring Beijing to do so. Ulyanov believes it would not be appropriate for China to participate in such talks, although he did not elaborate on the reasons. This stands in contrast to the US's efforts to involve China in strategic arms negotiations in recent years, including highlighting the "China threat."
The reason behind Russia's stance is likely due to the fact that China's nuclear capabilities are in a completely different league from those of the US and Russia. While China's technology is advanced, its nuclear arsenal is only a fraction of those of the US and Russia. Asking China to join trilateral arms control negotiations would be unfair, unreasonable, and impractical.
Russia's decision to speak out on this matter is not solely due to its good relations with China. The US's intentions are transparent, as it has a long-standing tradition of negotiating with Russia to limit nuclear arsenals, but not with China. The US is eager to gain insight into China's nuclear capabilities through these negotiations, but due to the highly classified nature of China's nuclear program, the US has limited access to information, leading to its unease. Even if China's nuclear arsenal turns out to be smaller than expected, the US would feel more secure once it has a clear understanding of China's capabilities.
Ultimately, the US wants real-time surveillance of China. However, the fact remains that the US has a far larger nuclear arsenal than China. China has maintained its nuclear arsenal at the minimum level necessary for effective nuclear deterrence. Therefore, China's development of nuclear weapons is entirely legitimate, and there is no need for it to participate in these negotiations. Moscow is well aware of this, hence its statement that China should not be pressured.
Earlier, President Putin stated that Russia would suspend participation in the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) but emphasized that Russia would not withdraw from the treaty. Putin pointed out the need to understand the positions of countries like France and the UK before renegotiating the treaty. If you target my allies, I will target yours. Since the US is so eager to have China participate in the treaty negotiations, France and the UK cannot escape. It remains to be seen how the US will respond, but in my opinion, neither France nor the UK will be a priority for the US, as they are just pawns in its strategic game.