China stresses non-first-use nuclear pledge

Urges cooperation from UN Security Council, more proliferation vigilance

A senior Chinese diplomat said Saturday that the country is committed to the principle of non-first-use of nuclear weapons, and expressed concern about the danger of nuclear proliferation at present at the ongoing Munich Security Conference (MSC). "China maintains a very small nuclear arsenal, and China follows the policy of self-defense and minimum deterrence," said Fu Ying, a veteran diplomat and now chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

China is also committed to the principle of non-first-use of nuclear weapons, and under no circumstances will China use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, she added.