Global Times: The Chinese delegation said at the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on Wednesday that over the past two decades, the US has withdrawn from arms control treaties such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Treaty on Open Skies, while allowing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) to expire. These actions have continuously undermined the international security and nuclear arms control system.
“The US is the primary source of instability in nuclear arms control and strategic stability,” said the Chinese delegation at the review conference which is taking place from April 27 to May 22 at UN Headquarters in New York.
The Chinese delegation pointed out in its statement that over the past two days, the US delegation deliberately distorted China’s positions and groundlessly misrepresented and smeared China’s nuclear policy and defense development efforts. China firmly opposes this.
The US-proposed “multilateral strategic stability and arms control” is more of a political show than a serious dialogue. It is based on erroneous narratives such as the so-called “three nuclear-weapon states” and “China nuclear threat,” and seeks to overturn the international consensus on nuclear disarmament by reviving the misleading narrative of trilateral nuclear arms control negotiations among China, the US, and Russia.
In essence, it is an attempt to shift the US’ special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament – “fake disarmament, real expansion.” China will not accept any hypocritical approach that calls for dialogue while engaging in confrontation, the Chinese delegation stressed.
The Chinese delegation emphasized that the US is bent on strengthening its nuclear monopoly and invests nearly $100 billion annually in nuclear force development. The US refuses to abandon its policy of first use of nuclear weapons and is building a “nuclear alliance” through arrangements such as “nuclear sharing” and “extended deterrence.” It is also advancing the “Golden Dome” missile defense plan and deploying strategic offensive and defensive capabilities in close proximity to other nuclear-armed states. These negative moves seriously undermine global and regional strategic stability, increase the risks of nuclear confrontation and conflict, and fuel a nuclear arms race.
The Chinese delegation stated that the US should respond positively to the legitimate concerns of the international community. If the willingness expressed by the US delegation on Tuesday to seek ways to improve the current international security environment is genuine, then it should first seriously consider and actively respond to China’s proposals, including joining negotiations at an early date on a treaty among nuclear-weapon states on no first use of nuclear weapons, and on an international legal instrument providing negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.
The US should also give serious consideration to Russia’s proposal and handle, in a responsible manner, follow-up arrangements after the expiration of the New START treaty. Finally, and most importantly, the US should earnestly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and abandon its bullying practice of readily resorting to or threatening the use of force in international relations, the Chinese delegation stressed.
