The U.S. is considering a deal with China that will see the two countries warn each other before they launch any missiles, according to the Japanese press.
Details of the proposals were reported by Nikkei Asia, which quoted an unnamed senior U.S. State Department official in an article published on Monday. That source claimed it was hoped that the two nations "would have a reciprocal obligation to clarify what we're doing," and added that the pact would be similar to an existing arrangement between the U.S. and Russia.
Reports that the deal is being considered come as the U.S. and China navigate a fraught relationship amid mutual suspicion between the two countries. A diplomatic furor erupted in February when the U.S. accused China of flying a spy balloon over American airspace.
China's designs on Taiwan and accusations of human rights abuses are also responsible for much of the frostiness in the relationship, while American fears that China may challenge its technological or trade interests have also played a role. And this summer it emerged that China was refusing to resume communication between its armed forces and the American military.
But last month, presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California to strike a series of landmark deals, including the resumption of military-to-military dialogue.
The State Department official as quoted as saying Washington hopes to hold talks on arms control with China early next year, adding that a missile launch notification plan is currently being mulled over by the government.
The U.S. and China have similar agreements in place with Russia. "The reason launch notification is so important is because we would have a reciprocal obligation to clarify what we're doing [with China]," the official said. "The fact that China has it with Russia demonstrates they appreciated the significance of the stabilizing nature. That's what we are trying to build on."
The deal would help establish trust on both sides, the official added.
A Department of Defense spokesperson told Newsweek that the U.S. wants to see improved communication with the People's Republic of China (PRC), adding: "The United States has been clear that it seeks increased PRC nuclear transparency and substantive engagement on practical measures to manage and reduce strategic risks across multiple domains, including nuclear and outer space. Exchanging notifications of missile launches would be one such practical measure.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department, the White House and China's State Council Information Office by email for comment.
Washington's deal with Russia is known as the "Ballistic Missile Launch Notification Agreement," which was signed in Moscow in 1988 when the country was still part of the U.S.S.R. The Cold War-era agreement was designed to avert panic with each country demonstrating that its upcoming missile launch wasn't part of a nuclear attack.
Despite the dismal state of the relationship between the two countries today, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in March that Moscow would continue to notify the U.S. of any intercontinental or submarine ballistic missile launches.
Update 12/12/23, 8:42 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Department of Defense.
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