The PRC and Arms Control

The document is an issues paper discussing various proposals regarding the People's Republic of China (PRC) and arms control. It suggests engaging with the PRC on topics such as renunciation of force, establishing a hotline, exchanging information on nuclear weapons safeguards, agreeing not to possess biological weapons, initiating unofficial arms control talks, and organizing a conference of the five nuclear powers. However, some reservations were expressed during the NSC meeting on March 25 regarding the urgency and priority of these proposals. Concerns were raised about the potential political implications of a renunciation of force agreement, the possibility of revisiting past conflicts regarding germ warfare allegations, and the perception that a five-power conference might be seen as imposing nuclear restrictions on China.