ISTANBUL

China on Thursday expressed "regret" over the expiration of the New START nuclear arms control treaty and called on the US to "actively" engage with Russia to preserve global strategic stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the treaty had played a crucial role in maintaining the international nuclear disarmament framework and warned that its lapse could "negatively" affect the global nuclear order.

“China finds the expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia regrettable,” Lin told reporters in Beijing.

He added that the agreement was “of great significance to uphold global strategic stability.”

Responding to concerns about nuclear weapons, Lin said that China remains “extremely prudent and responsible,” adhering to a defensive nuclear strategy.

He reiterated Beijing’s long-standing policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and its unconditional pledge not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.

The remarks come as Russia has proposed that both Moscow and Washington continue to observe the treaty’s central limits even after its expiration.

Beijing urged Washington to respond positively to the proposal and resume dialogue with Russia on strategic stability.

The New START, which expired early Thursday, was the last remaining legally binding agreement limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear forces. The expiration raises fears of a new era of unregulated nuclear competition.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was signed on April 8, 2010 in Prague by the US and Russia and entered into force on Feb. 5, 2011. It replaced the 1991 START I treaty, which expired in December 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty that terminated when New START became effective, according to the US-based Arms Control Association.