The global security landscape is facing serious challenges as US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have pushed Iran to consider withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The combination of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) expiring earlier this year – the last remaining legally binding nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia – with Japan's possible review of its "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" – not possessing, not producing and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory – adds to the anxiety.

Amid rising risks, calls are mounting to ensure nuclear energy is put to use for global development and prosperity.

Qin Tian, deputy director of the Middle East Studies Institute at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told CMG that the US-Israeli strikes have significantly increased uncertainty surrounding Iran's nuclear policy. He warned that if Iran were to withdraw from the NPT, it could have severe consequences for both regional security and the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

In response to these challenges, China has repeatedly urged a rational and coordinated approach to nuclear security. With regards to US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, China opposes such attacks, stressing that they undermine the authority of the NPT, weaken global non-proliferation efforts, and could have serious consequences for regional peace, security, and stability. Concerning the lapse of New START, China has called on the US to responsibly handle follow-up arrangements and resume dialogue with Russia on strategic stability at the earliest opportunity.

China has also contributed to nuclear security and the peaceful development of nuclear energy through concrete actions. Following a defensive nuclear policy of "no-first-use of nuclear weapons," China is the only nuclear-weapon state to make an unconditional commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, Yuan Sha, deputy director of the Department for Global Governance and International Organization Studies, wrote in a commentary.

Since 1995, China has submitted six national reports on NPT implementation, detailing its nuclear policy, strategy, and the development of its nuclear capabilities, according to the white paper China's Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation in the New Era, released in November 2025.

The white paper also highlighted China's contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, such as actively pursuing broader and deeper bilateral and multilateral nuclear cooperation and promoting equitable access to the benefots of nuclear energy. China has signed intergovernmental cooperation agreements on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy with over 30 countries and regions, sent experts on more than 4,000 missions to support countries in the Global South, and organized training sessions attended by over 6,000 participants from abroad.

Additionally, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China firmly upholds the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and other international legal instruments, abiding by its international obligations and supporting the IAEA in playing an active role.

Wang Zhenqing, president of the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy, said that by providing countries with more diversified and higher-quality options for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, China has consistently participated in building a global nuclear governance system.

Echoing Wang, Rong Ying, chair professor at Sichuan University, said that China's approach emphasizes the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the safeguarding of energy security, with a long-term perspective for humanity's future.

Amid ongoing geopolitical challenges, the message is clear: all countries should take coordinated and concrete actions to build a world free of nuclear threats and to ensure that the peaceful use of nuclear energy serves the well-being of people worldwide.