Fu Cong, the Director General of the Arms Control Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was interviewed by Liu Xin on CGTN yesterday, discussing many aspects of the giving of the new P5 Statement. On its evolution, Fu identified a key concept and the time frame involved in its preparation. “It emphasizes that none of the nuclear weapons will be targeting each other or anybody else. This reduces the danger of unauthorized or unintentional launch of nuclear weapons. China played a leading role within the P5. China was the one that advocated that the P5 reaffirm this basic principle. Originally there was no positive response. The Trump Administration was not at all interested in arms control. China was the only country that reiterated this principle publicly. And then Russia showed an interest, then the U.S., and later the U.K. and France. “ The whole process took roughly two years, Fu said.
Among his other remarks, he said that this was “a document of historic importance…. It was the first Joint Statement ever made by the five major nuclear states on the issue of nuclear weapons.” He further remarked that, “The leaders of the P5 do not issue joint statements very often. The last time was more than 20 years ago in 2000 after the Millennium Summit.”
He said, “The content is also significant. The most important principles have been reaffirmed in this document: namely, that a nuclear war cannot be won and can never be fought. This actually gives us the true understanding of nuclear weapons, that it is the ultimate deterrent, and not for war-fighting. And the recognition by the five nuclear states of this fact will go a long way in maintaining global stability and reducing the danger of nuclear war.”
The statement is “pertinent” and “timely,” he said, given the increasing tensions in Europe and also in the Asia-Pacific.
