CGTN Poll: Nearly 90% of respondents say nuclear proliferation and security risks are surging

The military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran continue to escalate, with multiple nuclear facilities, including Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, becoming targets one after another. The shadow of nuclear war is looming over the international community. A survey conducted by CGTN, among netizens worldwide shows that 89.2% of respondents believe that global nuclear proliferation and nuclear security risks are rising rapidly.

Amid frequent geopolitical conflicts, nuclear facilities are repeatedly coming under attack, facing a dangerous situation where critical red lines risk being crossed. In the survey, 74.9% of respondents stated that any development of nuclear energy at the expense of safety is unsustainable; 92.6% expressed that the right of countries to adopt the most suitable nuclear safety policies and measures based on their national conditions should be respected; and 91.4% believed that nuclear safety knows no borders. The peaceful use of nuclear energy is a common aspiration of humanity, and ensuring nuclear safety is a shared responsibility of all countries.

In February of this year, the New START treaty expired, and the two signatory states, the United States and Russia, failed to reach an agreement on its extension, marking the first time in decades that the two largest nuclear powers have faced a situation lacking binding mechanisms and transparency. A total of 88.2% of respondents expressed concern that the failure of checks and balances between major powers in areas such as military communication and arms control would severely threaten global strategic stability. 

Additionally, 74.1% of respondents believed that the international community should further strengthen the regulation and protection of nuclear materials and facilities. Nuclear powers bear special and primary responsibilities and should take the lead in managing global nuclear risks.

China has proposed the building of a community with a shared future for nuclear safety, emphasizing that strengthening the international nuclear safety system is not only a fundamental prerequisite for the healthy development of the nuclear energy industry, but also a crucial part of advancing global security governance, fostering a new type of international relations, and improving the world order. 

In the survey, 84.2% of respondents strongly agreed with China's proposition, believing that only by creating a peaceful and stable international environment can the issues of nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation be fundamentally addressed; 93% of respondents agreed that there are no winners in war, and that all countries should uphold the principles of prudence, opposition, and cessation in warfare, maintaining high vigilance against any acts of war and potential war risks; and 72.2% of respondents called on all countries to firmly support international cooperation on nuclear safety led by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to work together to build a community with a shared future for nuclear safety.

The survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, with 12,768 netizens voting and expressing their opinions within 24 hours.