Nuclear weapons not means for common security

Editor's Note: The following are excerpts from a statement by Shen Jian, China's ambassador for disarmament affairs and deputy permanent representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva, at the Thematic Debate on Nuclear Weapons at the First Committee for the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday:

The de-escalation of relevant regional tensions and achieving cease-fires as soon as possible are clear priorities for the international community. The nuclear-weapon states should take concrete measures to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy. Certain parties should refrain from playing with fire with the forward deployment of strategic forces.

The nuclear-weapon states should adhere to a pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament. Countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should assume special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals.

China always advocates for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. It has pledged to not be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and has unconditionally committed itself to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China is dedicated to safeguarding the international nuclear arms control regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone, and supports the three pillars of the treaty in a comprehensive manner.

The nuclear-weapon states should approach the issue of transparency in an objective and rational manner. They vary significantly in terms of their nuclear arsenals, nuclear policies and security environment. The focus and limit of such transparency naturally vary among different nuclear-weapon states.

China has always kept its nuclear force at the minimum level required for national security. China's nuclear arsenal is limited in scope and it has no intention of being part of a nuclear arms race. Any country that does not use nuclear weapons against China will not be threatened by China's nuclear weapons.

The current challenges and risks in the nuclear field need to be tackled at their roots. Obsessed with the Cold War mentality, hyping up major power competition and instigating bloc confrontation will only lead the international nuclear arms control process to a dead end. Certain nuclear-weapon states should abandon the transfer of large quantities of weapons-grade uranium used for nuclear submarines to a non-nuclear-weapon state.

China advocates that the international community uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, adhere to true multilateralism, respect each other's legitimate security concerns, and work together to promote nuclear arms control and disarmament.