Policy review suggests US likely to use nuclear weapons

Compared with the United States' new nuclear doctrine that is noncommittal about scenarios when it might use nuclear weapons, China's policy is unambiguous.

The US Defense Department's Nuclear Posture Review, released on Feb 2, outlines the Pentagon's plans to expand its own nuclear capabilities, while claiming that China's "lack of transparency regarding the scope and scale of its nuclear modernization program raises questions regarding its future intent".

Yet to not do something can also be a "future intent", and in his comments regarding the US nuclear policy document on Sunday, Ren Guoqiang, spokesman of China's National Defense Ministry, said China "always abides by the principle of no first use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances" and will "unconditionally not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states".