China releases white paper on arms control

China unveiled a white paper on Thursday detailing its approach to arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, reaffirming its commitment to global peace and stability and urging stronger international cooperation amid rising security challenges.

The white paper, titled "China's Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation in the New Era", was released by the State Council Information Office. It provides a comprehensive overview of China's policies and practices on arms control, as well as its positions on security governance in emerging fields such as outer space, cyberspace and artificial intelligence.

The document highlights the increasingly fragile global security environment, noting that conflicts are continuously erupting and geopolitical tensions are intensifying across regions.

In response to these challenges, China reaffirms its commitment to "upholding the international arms control regime with the United Nations at its core" and collaborating with the international community to strengthen global governance, it said, adding that the country "supports all efforts to build a world of lasting peace and common security".

The white paper emphasized that China strictly follows a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, stating that it "will never seek hegemony or expansion, or seek to build spheres of influence".

"A stronger Chinese military always adds strength to the world's peaceful forces," the document said.

It also highlights China's transparency in defense spending, noting that since 2007, the nation has submitted annual reports on its military expenditures for the previous fiscal year to the UN Report on Military Expenditures.

Underscoring China's active participation in multilateral arms control, the white paper said that China has ratified or signed more than 20 multilateral arms control treaties, established arms control and nonproliferation consultation mechanisms with more than 20 countries and international organizations, and fulfilled its treaty obligations in the fields of nuclear, biological and chemical arms control.

Regarding emerging fields such as outer space, cyberspace and AI, the white paper proposes that with the universal participation of all countries, the UN should play a pivotal role in fostering a global governance framework and standards for these fields based on broad consensus, while increasing the representation and voice of developing countries.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, described the release of the white paper as a concrete measure to implement the China-proposed Global Security Initiative and Global Governance Initiative.

The document highlights China's role as a major power actively leading global security governance and shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding international peace and security, he said on Thursday at a daily news briefing in Beijing.

China has played a constructive role in international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, actively offered its initiatives and solutions, and consistently served as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, Guo added.

Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said the document is the first white paper on arms control released since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

China previously released white papers on arms control in 1995 and 2005.

Jiang described the document as a timely declaration of China's firm commitment to safeguarding world peace and security, upholding the postwar international order, and supporting multilateral arms control processes.

He said the white paper demonstrates China's determination and sense of responsibility in strengthening arms control, maintaining strategic stability and reducing the harm of war.

Jiang emphasized that regardless of shifts in the international landscape, China will work alongside all peace-loving countries to defend international fairness and justice, advance multilateral arms control and uphold global strategic stability, injecting greater certainty and positive energy into a world entangled in turmoil.

Observers said the white paper underscores the importance of remembering the horrors of war and reinforcing the foundations of peace, particularly as this year marks the 80th anniversaries of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the founding of the UN.

Guo Xiaobing, director of the Center for Arms Control Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that China remains committed to improving the international security environment, promoting security cooperation and enhancing global security governance.

He said that regional conflicts are on the rise, with the nuclear factor playing an increasingly prominent role, as parties to such conflicts often issue nuclear threats, raising the risk of escalation.

He also emphasized that China maintains a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, a nuclear strategy of self-defense and an unconditional commitment to not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states or nuclear weapon-free zones — a stance he said contributes to global strategic stability.

He added that China respects the rights and development needs of all countries, and opposes the misuse of the national security concept and export control measures to hinder the peaceful use of technology.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn