In a significant diplomatic development, China’s foreign ministry responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks advocating for discussions on military spending and nuclear arsenal reductions among the world’s major powers. On Thursday, Trump expressed his desire for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, suggesting a dramatic reduction of military budgets by stating, “I want to say, let’s cut our military budget in half.”
In a regular press briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun pointed out that the United States holds the record for the largest military budget globally. He emphasized that if the U.S. promotes an “America First” approach, it should proactively exemplify its commitment by leading cuts in military expenditure.
Guo characterized China’s military budget as transparent, reasonable, and appropriate when compared to the United States and other major military powers. He underscored that China’s defense spending is limited and primarily aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, along with contributing to global peace.
Additionally, Trump called for the three nations to initiate discussions on their nuclear arsenals. However, Guo reiterated that disarmament responsibilities largely fall on the U.S. and Russia, given their status as the countries with the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons. He noted that China maintains its nuclear capability at a minimum level necessary for national security and refrains from engaging in an arms race with other nations.
This exchange highlights the ongoing complexities of global military dynamics and underscores the differing perspectives of major powers on defense spending and disarmament efforts. As discussions evolve, the international community watches closely to see how these diplomatic initiatives will unfold and what impact they may have on global security frameworks.
