BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- China hopes that the United States will respond positively to Russia's constructive proposal on the follow-up arrangements of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and truly maintain global strategic stability, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The New START treaty, signed by Russia and the United States in 2010, is set to expire on Feb. 5, 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September 2025 that Russia would continue to observe the core limits of the treaty for one year after its expiration, provided that the U.S. refrains from actions that undermine the existing strategic balance.

China's position on trilateral nuclear arms control talks involving China, the United States and Russia is clear, spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing in response to a query about the U.S. side expressing interest in China joining the relevant negotiations.

He added that the nuclear capabilities of China and the United States are not comparable in scale, and at this stage, requesting China to participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations is neither fair nor reasonable. ■