Arms control discussions between the United States and China took place in Washington on Monday, signaling a renewed effort to dialogue on how both nations can manage strategic risk and curb proliferation concerns. The briefing, confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, highlights a deliberate step toward structured engagement at a high level, with observers noting the session as a milestone in ongoing bilateral arms control diplomacy in the North American capital.
During the meeting, Mallory Stewart, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, led the U.S. side in discussions alongside an interagency team. They met Sun Xiaobo, who heads the Arms Control Department at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the State Department. The dialogue reflects both nations’ willingness to bring technical experts, policy analysts, and senior officials into a coordinated exchange focused on verifiable commitments and practical mechanisms that can reduce strategic risk.
The State Department press office underscored that the United States is encouraging China to participate in robust talks on arms control and risk reduction. A Chinese government source previously indicated to RIA Novosti that the Monday session would include broad-ranging discussions, spanning the status and implementation of existing international agreements and the identification of concrete steps for future cooperation. In this framing, the talks are seen as a platform to assess progress, address gaps, and align on mutual interests that influence global security dynamics.
Observers note that this round marks the first formal bilateral engagement on these topics since the Obama era, when a different geopolitical context and security landscape prevailed. The restart of this dialogue signals a continuity of U.S. diplomacy aimed at transparency, predictive planning, and verification-oriented approaches that can build trust and reduce the possibility of miscalculation in tense situations. The talks are often accompanied by accompanying diplomatic channels, technical exchanges, and the prospect of structured follow-up meetings to maintain momentum.
Within the broader security discourse, comments from former U.S. officials have framed the strategic competition with centrifugal forces that extend beyond bilateral borders. The assertion that Russia and China present significant challenges to the current international order has, at times, framed policy discussions around collective defense, arms control norms, and the safeguards needed to sustain strategic stability. In Washington and elsewhere, analysts stress that sustained engagement with China on arms control is not merely about limits on weaponry but about developing confidence-building measures and verification regimes that can withstand changing political circumstances and technological advances. These conversations are part of a wider effort to clarify what each side is prepared to commit to, how compliance would be monitored, and what consequences would follow any deviations from agreed terms.