China halts nuclear arms talks with US over Taiwan support
China has halted negotiations on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control with the United States in response to Washington's arms sales to Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory. The U.S. described Beijing’s decision as "unfortunate." Analysts warn that this move could significantly hinder global arms-control efforts. The nuclear weapons discussions between China and the U.S. began in November to alleviate mutual distrust before a summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. However, no further dialogue had been publicly announced since then. In January, a White House official urged Beijing to respond to "substantive ideas on risk reduction." A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Wednesday that the U.S.'s arms sales to Taiwan had "seriously compromised the political atmosphere for continuing the arms-control consultations." As a result, China has decided to suspend discussions on a...