China's nuclear strategy transparent, diplomat says

A senior Chinese diplomat on Monday emphasized that China was firmly committed to peaceful development, and added that the country's nuclear strategy, policy and related practices are responsible and will not change.

"China's nuclear strategy and policy have been long-standing and consistent with a high level of stability, continuity and predictability, which are unique among nuclear weapon states as well as being the most responsible and transparent," said Li Song, China's ambassador for disarmament affairs, at the First Committee of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"Out of ulterior motives, certain countries recently made groundless speculations and slander accusations about China's nuclear policy and nuclear capability. Here, I would like to stress that China's nuclear strategy, policy and related practices are open and transparent, serious and responsible. They will not change, nor be affected by those speculations and accusations.

"China firmly pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China's unique nuclear policies and practices have made historic contributions to the international nuclear disarmament process and will continue to make constructive contributions to this end."

China keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security and does not engage in any nuclear arms race with any other country, Li said.

China has always and will continue to take a responsible attitude and earnestly fulfill all its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, he added.

Bullying opposed

In regard to nuclear disarmament, nuclear weapon states "must abandon concepts of strategic competition, ideological demarcation and bloc confrontation" and refrain from seeking hegemony or bullying non-nuclear weapon states through nuclear weapons, Li said.

The United States and Russia, two countries with the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenals in the world, bear special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament. The two nations should further reduce their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner to create conditions for the multilateral nuclear disarmament process, he said.

There is no one-size-fits-all template for nuclear arms control, nuclear reduction or nuclear transparency. Therefore, nuclear disarmament should be advanced in a just and reasonable process of gradual and balanced reduction following such principles as "maintaining global strategic stability" and "undiminished security for all", Li said.

Nuclear weapon states should reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security doctrines, commit to no first use of nuclear weapons, refrain from listing any country as a target for nuclear strikes, and be committed to not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear-weapons-free zones unconditionally, Li said.

He also said the "nuclear sharing" arrangement runs counter to the purpose and object of the NPT, and therefore should not be encouraged and must not proliferate.