China calls for joint efforts to address risks, challenges in nuclear field

China's ambassador for disarmament affairs, Li Chijiang, on Friday called on the international community to work together to address the risks and challenges in the nuclear field.

Li made the appeal at the thematic debate on nuclear weapons at the Disarmament and International Security Committee of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Over the past year, confrontation within multilateral nuclear arms control mechanisms has further intensified. The international community is increasingly concerned about the risks of a nuclear arms race and nuclear war, he said.

The Cold War mentality is the primary source of deterioration of the international strategic security environment, the envoy noted.

Double standards are the greatest challenge to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and unilateralism is the greatest obstacle to global governance in the nuclear field, he added.

"The international community should work together to address the risks and challenges in the nuclear field following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security," said Li.

Relevant nuclear-weapon states should abandon their policy of nuclear deterrence based on winning a nuclear war and the first use of nuclear weapons, he said.

The international consensus on the nuclear test ban must not be challenged, Li said, adding that the commitments on "moratorium on nuclear testing" must be honored.

The state with the largest nuclear arsenal should effectively fulfill the special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament by making drastic and substantive reductions in its nuclear arsenal, rather than pursuing "the world's most robust, credible and modern nuclear deterrent," Li said.

Efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons should not undermine the right of developing countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, he said, adding that the peaceful use of nuclear energy must not be used as a cover for nuclear proliferation.

A certain non-nuclear-weapon state accumulates large amounts of plutonium of no credible civilian use, promotes the revision of the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and openly advocates the possession of nuclear weapons, Li said, urging the international community to be vigilant and exercise strict constraint.

The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, formally adopted by the Japanese parliament in 1971, refer to not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into the country.

China's position of advocating the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons remains firm, its policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons is consistent, and its efforts to maintain global strategic security and stability have never ceased, he said.