A top U.S. official on Thursday urged China and Russia to follow suit with statements made by the US and other countries stating that only people, not robots, would be able to decide when to use nuclear weapons.
According to Paul Dean, an arms control official from the State Department, Washington has made a “clear and strong commitment” that people have complete control over nuclear weapons. He also mentioned that France and Britain have made the same pledge.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dean of the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability stated that they would be happy to see a similar statement from China and the Russian Federation.
Speaking of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, he added, “We think it is an extremely important norm of responsible behavior and we think it is something that would be very welcome in a P5 context.”
Dean’s comments coincide with efforts by US President Joe Biden’s administration to expand bilateral talks with China on the development of artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons policy.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
The spread of artificial intelligence technology came up in broad discussions on April 26 in Beijing between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to Blinken, the two parties have decided to have their first bilateral discussions on artificial intelligence in the upcoming weeks. They will also exchange ideas on how to best manage the dangers and safety associated with the technology.
In January, U.S. and Chinese officials resumed discussions about nuclear weapons as part of normalizing military communications, although formal arms control negotiations are not anticipated anytime soon.
China, which is growing its nuclear weapons arsenal, suggested in February that the biggest nuclear powers should first work out a no-first-use pact.
