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Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Foreign Ministry Fu Cong Holds a Briefing for Chinese and Foreign Media on the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War

2022-01-04 17:45

On January 4, 2022, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Foreign Ministry Fu Cong held a briefing for Chinese and foreign media on the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War. He introduced the important significance and main highlights of the statement as well as China's propositions.

Fu Cong said, at 9 p.m. Beijing time on January 3, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states, namely China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, jointly issued the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races. This is the first time the leaders of the five states spoke with one voice on the issue of nuclear weapons, and the second time that leaders of the five states sent a common message on a major international issue since leaders of the five states met in New York and issued a statement in 2000.

Fu Cong pointed out, there are four highlights in the joint statement. First, the statement stresses that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought", and that nuclear weapons should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. The leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states reaffirm the above-mentioned concepts and demonstrate extreme prudence and restraint on the use of nuclear weapons. This is conducive to improving the international security environment and maintaining global strategic stability.

Second, the statement reaffirms that none of our nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or at any other state. The five nuclear-weapon states reaffirm at the leadership level that nuclear weapons are not targeted at each other or any other state. This will help enhance strategic mutual trust and reduce the risk of nuclear conflict caused by misunderstanding and miscalculation.

Third, the statement emphasizes the importance of preserving and complying with bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements and commitments. The above-mentioned commitment by the five nuclear-weapon states is a form of self-restraint, which is conducive to maintaining the international order based on international law and conducive to enhancing the confidence of the international community in the observance of arms control treaties by major countries.

Fourth, the statement emphasizes avoiding military confrontation and preventing arms races. The clear signal sent by the five nuclear-weapon states to prevent arms races will help replace competition among major powers with coordination and cooperation, and build major-country relations featuring overall stability and balanced development.

Fu Cong stressed, China is active in promoting cooperation among the five nuclear-weapon states. In 2019, China hosted the Beijing P5 Conference, which revived the deadlock process of the cooperation among the five nuclear-weapon states. China has contributed important wisdom to the conclusion of a positive joint statement. During the consultation process of the statement, apart from nudging all parties towards the stress that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought", China also pushed for the inclusion of important contents such as reiterating that nuclear weapons are not targeted at each other or any other state. The Chinese side believes that the five nuclear-weapon states should further strengthen communication on strategic stability and conduct in-depth dialogues on reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies and a wide range of topics including anti-missile, outer space, cyberspace and artificial intelligence. China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with the other four states, enhance strategic mutual trust and play a leading role in building a world of lasting peace and universal security.

Fu Cong also answered questions from the media on China's nuclear policy, the Iranian nuclear issue, the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation and other hotspot issues on nuclear arms control.

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