Ralph Cossa throws cold water on U.S. President Barack Obama's initiative to reduce nuclear weapons ("Nuclear disarmament: too much, too soon?", April 21). He insists that the initiative should not go forward unless China agrees to "equivalent percentage-based cuts" because of Japan's concern with China. But the United States and Russia each have more than 10 times China's estimated 400 nuclear warheads, so they should indeed take the first steps at reduction. Even if the two reached an extreme reduction target of 1,000, the U.S. would still have more than enough to overwhelm China's defenses. Some country has to go first to build trust and demonstrate the genuineness of the intent.
mark j. valencia