China urges U.S. to cease deployment of missiles in Asia-Pacific

China has urged the U.S. to abandon the "nuclear sharing" and "extended deterrence" arrangements, withdraw nuclear weapons deployed overseas, abandon the development and deployment of a global missile defense system, and immediately cease the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region at a UN Office for Disarmament Affairs session on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

China has always believed that the policy of nuclear-weapon states jointly adopting a no-first-use policy is an effective measure to reduce strategic risks, Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, addressed the session on Tuesday.

The conference on disarmament should start substantive work as soon as possible on concluding an international legal instrument on not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free-zones, Sun said.

The two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and priority responsibilities for nuclear disarmament, further substantially reducing their nuclear arsenals, and creating conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join the nuclear disarmament process, Sun said.

It is not fair or reasonable to require countries with significant differences in nuclear policies, nuclear forces, and security environments to bear equal nuclear disarmament obligations, and it is not feasible, Sun said.

He urged the U.S. to abandon the "nuclear sharing" and "extended deterrence" arrangements, withdraw nuclear weapons deployed overseas, abandon the development and deployment of a global missile defense system, and immediately cease the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sun also stressed that to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, all countries should firmly oppose the acts like the generalization of the concept of national security, using export controls as a political tool for "decoupling," or imposing unnecessary restrictions on international cooperation in nuclear energy.

China submitted a working paper at the 11th session of the Preparatory Committee for the review conference of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The working paper stressed that China undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free-zones.

The Treaty is the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The treaty entered into force in 1970 and currently has 191 member states. A review conference has been held every five years to develop measures to promote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The 11th review conference will be held in 2026.