China’s new white paper entitled “Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation in the New Era,” reaffirms China’s commitment to no first use and to not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. “China has reiterated on numerous occasions that nuclear weapons must never be used and that a nuclear war must never be fought. From the day it came into possession of these weapons, China has advocated their complete prohibition and thorough destruction. China has always remained committed to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.”
“China’s nuclear weapons are not intended to threaten other countries, but for defense and self-protection,” it says further. “China has never used nuclear weapons to threaten other countries nor deployed nuclear weapons outside its own territories, and has never provided a nuclear umbrella for other countries.”
The paper also asserts that China is committed to transparency. “China maintains that nuclear transparency should be conducive to strategic mutual trust, take full account of the security environment and interests of each country, and be implemented by themselves voluntarily in accordance with their national conditions. Given the current international security situation, transparency in intentions and policies is of the most practical significance. China firmly follows a path of peaceful development, pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and commits to a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons. This is the most practical measure of transparency. Since 1995, China has published two white papers on arms control and ten on national defense, and submitted six national reports on the implementation of the NPT [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty], explaining China’s nuclear policy and strategy as well as the development of its nuclear capabilities.”
