New START talks cannot include China

Several White House officials told the US media that US President Donald Trump will not renew the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the US and Russia, which expires in 2021. Washington intends to build another nuclear pact that includes China. 

多名白宫官员对美国媒体表示，特朗普总统准备不续签将在2021年到期的美俄《新削减战略武器条约》，华盛顿想要推动达成一项包括中国在内的新的《削减战略武器条约》。

After withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Trump administration is adopting the same tactic toward START.

继美国退出《中导条约》后，特朗普政府正在按照同样思路对待美俄之间仅剩的《新削减战略武器条约》。

The key objective of this US tactic is to restrain China from developing its strategic nuclear forces. Washington hopes to exert pressure on Beijing with the help of Moscow and Western public opinion.

限制中国发展战略核力量是美国出此策略的主要目的之一，华盛顿希望借助莫斯科的力量和国际(主要是西方的)舆论力量向北京施压。

In terms of the INF treaty, Russia rejected the US offer to include China in the talks, as the US~q~ demand was utterly unjustifiable. But it would be even more ridiculous if the US were to include China to the New START as it restricts the number of warheads and nuclear missile launchers the US and Russia own. 

在《中导条约》问题上，莫斯科公开拒绝了美国想拉上中国一起谈的建议，因为美方的主张的确没有道理。《新削减战略武器条约》限制的是美俄核弹头以及运载工具数量，要拉中国进来，就更荒唐了。

The number of warheads owned by China has never been made public, but it is known to all that their numbers are not comparable to that of the US and Russia. According to estimates by the Federation of American Scientists, China has 280 warheads, while the US has 6,450 and Russia has 6,490.

中国的核弹头数量没有公开过，但它与美俄的核弹头数量不在一个量级上，则是众所周知的。据美国科学家联盟不久前公布的一个估算，至2018年中国核弹头数量为280枚，美国和俄罗斯各为6450枚和6490枚。

China must reject every move by the US to pursue such strategies. China should never be bothered by the pressure the US may impose. China should be determined to carry out its own strategic nuclear program. 

中国必须毫不迟疑地驳回美国推动这一主张的任何尝试，我们不能被它可能在今后为此施加的压力所困扰。我们对自己战略核力量规划的实施要坚定不移。

In recent years, China has seen the rapid development of its military strength, and it has more options in its strategic toolbox. 

最近这些年中国的军力实现了高速发展，使得我们的战略工具箱里有了更多选择。

Nuclear power is still the most fundamental strategic tool. China~q~s strategic nuclear power remains at the lowest level possible to maintain the country~q~s national security. Once weakened, the country~q~s strategic security will be undermined. 

但必须指出，核力量仍然是最根本的战略工具。中国的战略核力量本来就维持在保障国家安全所需的最低水平上，一旦它有任何削弱，我们的战略意志就有在危急关头被压弯的风险。

It should be noted that China does not only maintain a low-level nuclear arsenal, and is also the only nuclear power committed to the principle of non-first-use of nuclear weapons, which further restricts China~q~s nuclear deterrence. 

需要看到，中国不仅核武库的保持水平低，而且是做出不首先使用核武器承诺的唯一核国家，这进一步限制了中国的核威慑。

In principle, the nuclear deterrence produced by China is different from countries that have not made such a commitment but have the same number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles. It is strategic greed for the US to push China to participate in US-Russia nuclear disarmament.

从理论上说，中国与未做这一承诺的国家保有相同数量的核弹头和运载工具，所产生的核震慑是不一样的。在这种情况下华盛顿还想拉中国参与美俄核裁军，这是一种战略上的贪得无厌。

Chinese people should be clear that US~q~ arrogant strategy toward China mainly lies in the difference of magnitude between US~q~ and China~q~s strategic nuclear force. If China~q~s nuclear warheads were in the thousands, the US will never conduct such frivolous "free navigation" in the South China Sea and its moves in the Taiwan Straits would be more restrained. 

中国人还需清晰领悟：美国对华战略傲慢有相当一部分的深层原因就是中国战略核力量与之存在量级之差。如果中国的核弹头处于几千枚的数量级上，美国决不敢在南海上搞如此轻狂的“自由航行”，它在台海地区的表现也会克制得多。

We believe China should boost its scale and quality of its strategic nuclear force. The more urgent security situation of China allows of no delay of such a mission and other considerations should give way.

我们认为，中国应当加大提升战略核力量规模和质量的力度，而且随着中国安全形势变得更加紧迫，这一工作刻不容缓，其他考量都应让路。

The thought that having enough nuclear weapons is good enough should keep abreast of the national security situation to figure out the concept of "enough."

那种核武器“够用就行了”的想法一定要不断对照国家现实安全形势，充分厘清什么叫“够用”这个概念。

China does not have to regard the US as an example in terms of nuclear weapons, which is also unrealistic. But China~q~s nuclear force must be enough to deter US hawks~q~ ideas of making strategic threats toward China, which should be the minimum for China~q~s nuclear forces.

中国不必在核武器问题上对标美国，这也不现实。但中国的核力量一定要足够遏制美国鹰派对华实施战略冒险的任何念头。这应当是中国核力量的“最低水平”。

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