The head of a Chinese delegation, speaking at a meeting of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, called on the international community to strengthen global security governance, urging certain countries to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policies.
Sun Xiaobo, head of the Chinese delegation and director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the statement at the meeting of the UNGA Disarmament and International Security Committee, or the First Committee of the 79th UNGA.
Sun pointed out that over the past few years, some certain countries have continuously enhanced the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policies, investing hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars to upgrade the "nuclear triad" and accelerating the modernization of their nuclear arsenals.
He said these countries have continued to strengthen military alliances, create various discriminatory small circles and promote NATO's extension into the Asia-Pacific region, which has seriously undermined the strategic stability in the region and around the world.
Certain nuclear-weapon states should abolish their arrangements of "nuclear sharing" and "extended deterrence" and withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad to their own territories, Sun stressed, calling on non-nuclear-weapon states under the "nuclear umbrella" to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security and collective security policies.
China urges the relevant countries to stop developing and deploying global anti-missile systems and stop deploying land-based intermediate-range missiles outside their borders or in close proximity to other nuclear-weapon states, he said.
Sun stressed that China has always maintained its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security, while not participating in any arm race, not providing "nuclear umbrella" for any other country, nor deploying nuclear weapons in other countries.
China will not use nuclear weapons to seek hegemony or to intimidate or bully non-nuclear-weapon states, he said, adding that any attempt to distort and smear China's nuclear policy will be futile.
Chinese official urges certain countries to reduce role of nuclear weapons
