President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 15 that he is negotiating denuclearization with China and Russia. He warned that Beijing is less willing to pursue it because of its smaller nuclear arsenal.
President Donald Trump gestures as he walks to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Oct. 13, 2026. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images.
In a Newsmax interview, Trump said China lags behind the United States in nuclear stockpile but could close the gap within five years. He called the situation a shame and said he wants denuclearization.
Trump confirmed he is in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin but offered no details.
He added that China is less inclined to pursue denuclearization because its arsenal is smaller than those of the United States and Russia.
The Federation of American Scientists reports Russia leads with 5,420 warheads, the United States follows with 5,042, and China holds 620. France, the United Kingdom, and India round out the list with 370, 225, and 190 warheads respectively.
Arms Treaty Expires
The last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control treaty expired on Feb. 5, ending legally binding limits on the world’s two largest arsenals for the first time in decades. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) had capped each side’s deployed warheads at 1,550 since 2011.
Under New START, both nations limited deployed missiles and bombers to 700 and total launchers and bombers to 800.
U.S. under secretary for arms control Thomas G. DiNanno called for a 15‑year treaty renewal that includes China. Speaking at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Feb. 6, he said China’s arsenal lacks limits, transparency, declarations, and controls.
DiNanno noted Washington is aware of China’s nuclear tests, including yields in the hundreds of tons.
This developing story will be updated. Evgenia Filimianova and Stuart Liess contributed to this report.
