New US policy urges better nuclear transparency from China

US wants better nuke transparency from China

WASHINGTON — The United States is urging China to explain its nuclear intentions more clearly.

In announcing a new nuclear weapons policy, the Obama administration Tuesday said the United States and China’s neighbors are worried about Beijing’s growing military and the modernization of its nuclear arsenal.

The United States says China’s nuclear arsenal is dwarfed by the nuclear weapons controlled by Moscow and Washington. But it says that confusion about the guiding doctrines of Beijing’s nuclear programs “raises questions about China’s future strategic intentions.”

The Obama administration is hoping to win Chinese cooperation in efforts to settle nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea and to deal with global economic and environmental problems.