China's Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation in the New Era

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III. Playing a Constructive Role in International Arms Control

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has actively safeguarded the authority and effectiveness of the international arms control regime, played a constructive role in multilateral arms control in the nuclear, biological, chemical and other fields, and conscientiously performed its duties prescribed by international arms control treaties, making its due contribution to international arms control.

1. Nuclear Arms Control

Nuclear weapons are the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of humanity. Nuclear arms control is an important guarantee of global strategic stability and is integral to the security and development interests of all. Currently, nuclear arms control is facing challenges, as global nuclear strategic rivalries are becoming more intense and complex, and the risk of a nuclear arms race is growing.

China has reiterated on numerous occasions that nuclear weapons must never be used and that a nuclear war must never be fought. From the day it came into possession of these weapons, China has advocated their complete prohibition and thorough destruction. China has always remained committed to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.

China has resolutely safeguarded the international nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regimes, fulfilled its obligations to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and promoted balanced progress in the Treaty's three pillars — nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

(1) Nuclear policy

Upholding a firm commitment to a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy of self-defense. China was compelled to make the strategic choice to develop nuclear weapons at a particular point in history to deal with nuclear threats and blackmail, break the existing nuclear monopoly, and prevent nuclear wars. China's nuclear weapons are not intended to threaten other countries, but for defense and self-protection. China has never used nuclear weapons to threaten other countries nor deployed nuclear weapons outside its own territories, and has never provided a nuclear umbrella for other countries.

Whether confronted with nuclear threats or blackmail during the Cold War, or in a complex international security environment with growing strategic security threats at present, China has always committed to its policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, firmly upheld a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and promoted the modernization of its nuclear forces to safeguard China's own strategic security and overall global strategic stability. China's greatest contribution to international nuclear arms control lies in the fact that it has the most stable, consistent and predictable nuclear policy among all nuclear-weapon states.

Keeping China's nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. China has always exercised the utmost restraint regarding the scale and development of its nuclear weapons. It never has and never will engage in any nuclear arms race with any other country in terms of level of expenditure, quantity, or scale of nuclear weapons. In order to demonstrate its determination to avoid provoking a nuclear arms race, China has conducted the smallest number of nuclear tests among all nuclear-weapon states, and has closed down its nuclear weapon research and production facilities in areas including Chongqing and Qinghai.

In building a lean and effective nuclear force system, China is improving its capabilities in strategic early warning, command and control, missile penetration, and rapid response, as well as its survivability, in order to ensure the safety, security, reliability and effectiveness of its nuclear weapons and deter other countries from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against China.

Attaching great importance to the safe management and use and effective control of nuclear weapons. China has strict laws and regulations and reliable technical means to implement safety management throughout the entire process of nuclear weapons storage, transportation and training. These effectively prevent any risk of an unauthorized or accidental launch of nuclear missiles, and ensure that the nuclear force is kept absolutely safe and reliable. The command of nuclear forces in China is highly centralized under a streamlined and efficient process, which ensures that unit operations are carried out in the strictest and most accurate compliance with the orders of the Central Military Commission.

Adopting nuclear transparency, confidence-building, and risk reduction measures. China maintains that nuclear transparency should be conducive to strategic mutual trust, take full account of the security environment and interests of each country, and be implemented by themselves voluntarily in accordance with their national conditions. Given the current international security situation, transparency in intentions and policies is of the most practical significance. China firmly follows a path of peaceful development, pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and commits to a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons. This is the most practical measure of transparency. Since 1995, China has published two white papers on arms control and 10 on national defense, and submitted six national reports on the implementation of the NPT, explaining China's nuclear policy and strategy as well as the development of its nuclear capabilities.

China has taken a number of confidence-building measures. It has voluntarily notified relevant countries of ballistic missile launches, and signed the Agreement on Notifications of Ballistic Missile and Carrier Rocket Launches with Russia. In September 2024, China notified relevant countries in advance of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean.

Due to the vast differences between nuclear-weapon states in their nuclear forces and policies, and in their security environment, there are no measures to reduce nuclear risks that can be universally applied. China advocates prioritizing crisis prevention and opposes the hypocritical approach of inciting confrontation and creating crises while calling for the reduction of nuclear risks. Nuclear-weapon states should effectively reduce the nuclear risks by abandoning the policy of aggressive nuclear deterrence based on the first use of nuclear weapons and reducing the role of nuclear weapons in their national and collective security policies.

Promoting the effective operation of the P5 mechanism. The P5 (the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the NPT who are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) mechanism is an important platform enabling the five states to safeguard the architecture of the NPT, and a significant mechanism to strengthen strategic communication and mutual trust. In January 2019, China hosted the P5 Beijing Conference which restarted the cooperation process that had reached a deadlock. In January 2022, China promoted the issuance of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races, reiterating the view that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. China has taken the lead in compiling two editions of the P5 Glossary of Key Nuclear Terms with other P5 members, which provide a valuable reference for the international community by promoting greater consensus and mutual trust, dispelling misunderstandings, and avoiding misjudgment between the five countries. From August 2024 to August 2025, China served as P5 coordinator again, working to promote greater communication about nuclear policies and strategic mutual trust among the five states.

(2) Nuclear disarmament

Upholding a fair and reasonable, rational and pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament. China advocates that all nuclear-weapon states should make an unequivocal commitment not to seek permanent possession of nuclear weapons, and seek to conclude a legal instrument on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of such weapons. Nuclear disarmament should be a just and reasonable process of gradual reduction towards a downward balance that maintains global strategic stability and undiminished security for all, and should be proceeded in a step-by-step manner. Countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should fulfill their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament and continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally-binding manner, so as to create the conditions for complete and thorough nuclear disarmament. When conditions are ripe, all nuclear-weapon states should join the multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiation process.

Firmly supporting the purposes and objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Being one of the first to sign the Treaty in September 1996, China has always honored its commitment to the moratorium on nuclear testing, supported the early entry into force of the Treaty, and promoted domestic preparatory work for its implementation. Since December 2016, five radionuclide and seismic stations in cities including Lanzhou, Guangzhou and Beijing have been certified. In August 2025, the Kunming infrasound station was certified. China has hosted National Data Center Workshops, participated in on-site inspections and other related activities, supported the development of the Treaty's verification mechanism, and maintained good cooperation with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Engaging in deliberations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). The CD is the only appropriate forum for negotiating a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. China supports negotiating and concluding a multilateral, nondiscriminatory, and internationally verifiable FMCT on the basis of agreeing a comprehensive and balanced program of work and the universal participation of all key stakeholders in accordance with the Shannon Report and the mandate contained therein. China has played a constructive role in related deliberations of both the UN FMCT High-level Expert Preparatory Group and the CD.

Calling for and promoting mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons. The adoption of a no-first-use policy is a practical move to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies and achieve the goal of nuclear disarmament. If the five nuclear-weapon states — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — could reach a consensus on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons, it would be conducive to reducing strategic risks, avoiding nuclear arms races, and promoting global strategic balance and stability.

In January 1994, China submitted a draft treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons to the other four states. In the same year, China and Russia declared that they would not make first use of their nuclear weapons or target their strategic nuclear weapons at each other. In June 1998, China and the US declared that they would not target their nuclear weapons at each other. In May 2000, China promoted the declaration of a joint statement of the five nuclear-weapon states that their nuclear weapons would not be targeted at any state. In July 2024, China submitted a working paper to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, and once again called on nuclear-weapon states to conclude a treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons or to issue a political statement to that effect.

Actively responding to the legitimate concerns of non-nuclear-weapon states on security assurances. China maintains that all nuclear-weapon states should undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones under any circumstances. In April 1995, China issued a statement reiterating its unconditional provision of negative security assurances to all non-nuclear-weapon states and its commitment to offer them positive security assurances. In May 2000, China and the other nuclear-weapon states issued a joint statement reaffirming their security-assurance commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 984 (1995). In July 2024, China submitted a working paper to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT and advocated early negotiations on and the conclusion of an international legal instrument on unconditional negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.

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