Still, the overall number of Chinese nuclear warheads greatly lags behind that of the US. The New START treaty limits Russia and the US to some 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. In total the US has about 5,800 nuclear warheads, according to the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation.
Trump has shown a keen interest in America's nuclear arsenal, and appeared to share classified developments with journalist Bob Woodward, in an interview for his new book "Rage." Trump states to Woodward: "I have built a nuclear — a weapons system that nobody's ever had in this country before," Trump said, according to a recording of their December 5, 2019, conversation, before going on to say: "We have stuff that Putin and Xi have never heard about before. There's nobody. What we have is incredible."
US demands on Russia
The demands the Trump administration has already insisted that Russia agrees to, if they want New START extended, include: a commitment to follow-on talks about an arms control agreement that includes all US and Russian nuclear weapons, a commitment that China will be part of the next arms control treaty and stronger verification measures.
The stronger verification measures would include increasing the number of inspections and longer inspection timelines.
When asked what kind of leverage Russia could use to pressure China to be part of the next treaty Billingslea spoke in broad terms.
"It's Vladimir Putin. He's got all kinds of leverage. If they really wanted to help they could," he said, adding he has not seen an effort by them on that front so far.
Billingsea asserted that stronger verification measures -- which the US is proposing in the form of a political agreement -- could be agreed to between now and US election.
"If Moscow wants to take the deal we've offered they could do it tomorrow," Billingslea said. "It's just a matter of political will."
If Russia made such a commitment, it could lead to Trump and Putin meeting to sign a treaty before Election Day. Trump has broadly discussed the negotiations during recent phone calls with the Russian President, but it is unclear what kind of details they focused in on.
While Billingslea said that additional verification measures are needed, critics point out the fact that Russia has never been charged with breaking the terms of the treaty.
"I think they are unlikely to get an agreement on additional verification measures concurrent with New START extension. It is also not clear why they feel they need them because the intel community continues to verify with a high degree of confidence that Russia is in compliance," said Lynn Rusten, a vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
An effort to bring Putin to the table?
The push for a renewed nuclear framework with Russia -- and with China down the line -- comes as Trump is seeking to accrue major foreign policy wins ahead of the election.
Some view the push for new verification measures as part of that effort, a potential excuse to bring Trump to the table with Putin sometime in the next few weeks.
National security adviser Robert O'Brien rejected the idea of a summit with Putin during an interview last month, but did say signing an arms control agreement would be welcome.
"At some time," O'Brien said. "We'd love to have Putin come here hopefully to sign a terrific arms control deal that protects Americans and protects Russians."
Billingslea himself used the US election deadline as a peg to threaten the Russians to come to the table now -- but he said that Trump is not demanding progress on a nuclear agreement with Russia before November.
"He knows how to negotiate deals that no other presidents have been able to pull together for the past 20, 30 years," Billingslea said of Trump. "November is not the key."