Washington and Beijing held semi-official talks on nuclear weapons for the first time in five years. As Reuters reports with reference to the American participants of the meeting, the Chinese side assured that it has no intention of using nuclear weapons against Taiwan.
These talks, known as Track Two, took place in March this year. They usually involve former government officials and experts who do not make decisions but can authoritatively express their government’s position.
The American delegation expressed concern about the possibility of China using nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Chinese representatives assured that they are “absolutely confident” in their ability to win a conventional war without the use of nuclear weapons, according to David Santoro, the American organizer of the talks.
The US State Department, which did not directly participate in the negotiations but was informed about them, called such negotiations “useful”.
Context:
Relations between China and Taiwan have been strained since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022. China considers Taiwan its breakaway province, while Taiwan considers itself an independent state.
