China welcomes the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made his remarks in a regular press conference stressing the treaty's extension is conducive to maintaining global strategic stability and enhancing international peace and security.

Saying the extension of the treaty also meets the aspiration of the international community, Wang also noted the U.S. and Russia with the largest nuclear arsenals should follow the long-standing international consensus, fulfill their special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament, and further drastically and substantively reduce their nuclear stockpile.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday said the Biden administration would use the five-year extension to pursue an arms control treaty that addresses all U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, as well as "arms control to reduce the dangers from China's modern and growing nuclear arsenal."

Responding to Blinken's remarks, Wang said China firmly opposed to U.S. side's unfounded accusations and smears.

Given the gap between China and the two nuclear giants, China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense and keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security, Wang added.

"China is always committed to a nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones unconditionally."

China is the only nuclear-weapon state to have made such commitment, which in itself is a major contribution to the global nuclear disarmament process, Wang added.

The spokesperson pointed out China is ready to participate in dialogues and cooperation in the multilateral fora such as the P5 (the five permanent members of the UN) mechanism on issues related to strategic security and is also ready to conduct bilateral dialogues with other nuclear-weapon states on issues related to nuclear arms control and disarmament.

U.S. and Russia own 90 percent of the world's warheads.

The New START, signed in April 2010 by the United States and Russia, limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 and deployed missiles and bombers to 700 for each country. The treaty entered into force on February 5, 2011, and would have expired on February 5 this year.

The United States and Russia on Wednesday officially announced a five-year extension of the treaty, the maximum period allowed by the treaty, two days before expiration.

(Cover: File photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.)