China is firmly committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Lin made the remarks in response to a media query regarding China-related content in a draft Pentagon report.
"I'm not familiar with what you cited as a U.S. draft report, but we've been hearing the same story told and retold by the U.S. to create pretext for speeding up the upgrade of U.S. nuclear power and disrupting global strategic stability. The international community needs to be soberly aware of that. The U.S., as a nuclear superpower sitting on the world's biggest nuclear arsenal, must fulfill its special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, further make drastic and substantive cut to its nuclear arsenal, and create conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join the nuclear disarmament process. This should be a high priority for the U.S.," said Lin.
"Not long before, the Chinese government released a white paper entitled China's Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the New Era with a full overview of China's nuclear policy and position on nuclear disarmament. China remains firmly committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense. China keeps its nuclear strength at the minimum level required by national security and does not engage in any nuclear arms race with any country. China takes an active part in the review process of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and meetings of the P5 (five nuclear-weapon states) mechanism, and maintains dialogue with various parties on nuclear disarmament," said Lin.
China firmly committed to policy of no first use of nuclear weapons: spokesman
