China denies report of reciprocal nuclear site visits with US

China on Friday denied a report that Beijing and Washington had discussed reciprocal visits to nuclear facilities, with further talks reportedly planned in the coming months.

"The relevant report is not true," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference in Beijing, according to an official transcript of the briefing.

The denial came after CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that China and the US had discussed possible reciprocal visits to nuclear sites.

According to an earlier CNN report, preliminary discussions covered possible visits to US Department of Energy laboratories and corresponding Chinese research centers, alongside potential access to nuclear test sites.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in its June report, estimated that China possessed 620 nuclear warheads as of January 2026, compared with more than 5,000 held by the US, including retired warheads.

According to SIPRI, the world's nine nuclear-armed nations possessed an estimated 12,187 warheads, including 190 held by India, 170 by Pakistan, 90 by Israel and 60 by North Korea. Russia and the US together accounted for nearly 86% of the global inventory.

SIPRI said China was expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, while Washington and Moscow continued extensive nuclear modernization programs.

The developments follow the expiration of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between Washington and Moscow in February.