China announced that it would not participate in nuclear control talks at the invitation of the United States on July 9, complaining that Washington continues to "disturb" Beijing.

The administration of President Donald Trump wants China to participate in new negotiations on the agreement to inherit the New Strategic Offensive Weapons Reduction Treaty (New START), to control the number of Russian and American warheads.

However, China has announced that it will only participate in negotiations if the US reduces its arsenal to the level of its nuclear deterrent, which is several times smaller.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lian Kien at a news conference in Beijing today poured cold water into US intentions.

"However, the United States continues to bother China, even distorting its position," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Zhao Lian said the US proposal of the tripartite talks was "not serious and not sincere", calling for it to respond to Russia's proposal to extend the New START treaty and continue to reduce its arsenal.

The New START Treaty, signed by the US and Russia in 2010, stipulates that each party can only deploy up to 1,550 nuclear warheads on 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles or bombers.

Russia wants to negotiate an extension of New START, but the US seems to want to discuss a new agreement to limit the nuclear arsenals of the two countries and add China to this treaty.

Yu Thong, the director of China's Department of Foreign Affairs' s Disarmament and Arms Control Department, announced that China would participate in nuclear negotiations if the United States reduced its arsenal with them.

The United States owns 1,750 nuclear warheads on missiles or on bases with operational forces and 4,050 warheads that are stored or waiting to be dismantled.

China owns about 300 nuclear warheads and is said to be the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world.