Nuclear warfare: China arming Russia fears of new cold war rise

China is arming Russia with nuclear weapons in a bid to re-establish the former Soviet Union's status as a superpower, according to a report.

The revelation comes as fears of a new cold war rise, with the US and Russia increasingly at odds over a number of issues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have been angered by the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which banned all land-based missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.

According to the Sunday Times, Putin has turned to China for help in rebuilding his nuclear arsenal, with Beijing agreeing to sell Moscow advanced warheads and missiles.

"The Russians have been asking us to sell them cruise missiles, and we have been refusing," a senior US State Department official told the newspaper.

"Now we are seeing the Chinese filling the gap."

China's Foreign Ministry has denied the report, saying the country "has always opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons."

But analysts say the deal would make sense for Beijing, which is looking to expand its influence in the region.

"China is trying to increase its leverage with Russia because Moscow is not following Beijing's desired path in terms of international relations," Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the AFP news agency.

The news comes as the US and Russia face off over a number of issues, including the conflict in Syria, the future of the INF treaty, and the political crisis in Venezuela.

Tensions between the two countries have also been stoked by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.