Statement by Director-General of the Department of Arms
Control of the Foreign Ministry of China Sun Xiaobo at the
General Debate of the First Meeting of the Preparatory
Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference

(Vienna, August, 2023)

Mr. President,

On behalf of the Chinese delegation, I would like to congratulate you on your election as the President of the first meeting of the preparatory committee and assure you of China’s full support to your work.

The world today is undergoing both transformation and turbulence. The growing geopolitical conflicts and the return of cold-war mentality represented by military alliances and bloc confrontation have seriously undermined global strategic balance and stability, and intensified the risks of nuclear arms races and nuclear conflicts. The world economy is struggling to recover, and tensions and disagreements in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and other areas of development are prominent. In such context, the international security and development governance system represented by the NPT is facing severe challenges.

Faced with the profound changes in the international situation, President Xi Jinping has put forward a series of major initiatives, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, which have contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to the common issues faced by humankind. China is willing to work with the international community to take the new NPT review cycle as an opportunity to promote the three pillars of nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in a balanced manner, and give full play to the role of the NPT in serving security and development in the new era. To this end, China wishes to propose the following four points.

First, uphold strategic balance and stability and promote nuclear disarmament in a rational and pragmatic manner. China understands the keen aspiration of non-nuclear-weapon States in advancing nuclear disarmament. China advocates the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, and undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free-zones. China always keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security and does not participate in any form of arms race. This is China's solemn commitment and significant contribution to the cause of international nuclear disarmament. China is firmly opposed to and never accepts the ill-intentioned accusation and distortion of China’s nuclear doctrines made by certain countries.
    Nuclear weapon is a product of history, and therefore nuclear disarmament is naturally a historical process, which should follow the principles of “maintaining global strategic stability” and “undiminished security for all”, and be advanced in a step-by-step manner. To require countries with vastly different nuclear doctrines and nuclear stockpiles to fulfill the same nuclear disarmament and transparency obligations is not in line with the logic of history and reality, and will surely lead the international nuclear disarmament process to a dead end. The priority now is that the countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should fulfil their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament, continue to effectively implement the New START Treaty and further reduce their nuclear arsenals in a significant and substantive manner, so as to create the conditions for other nuclear-weapon States to join the nuclear disarmament process.

Second, uphold the vision of common security and strive to reduce strategic risks. President Xi Jinping has pointed out that nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear war must not be fought, the international community should joint hands to oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. Last January, the leaders of the P5 issued a Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races. On this basis, China supports the P5 in continuing dialogue and cooperation to discuss feasible strategic risk reduction measures. In the meantime, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for strategic risk reduction. We need to take into full account different nuclear capabilities, nuclear doctrines and security environment among the nuclear-weapon States, and pursue strategic risk reduction in a step-by-step manner based on the level of strategic mutual trust among States.

Based on the current international security reality and China’s consistent position on strategic risk reduction, China calls on  nuclear-weapon States to negotiate and conclude a treaty on the mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and advocates negotiations of an international legal instrument providing negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States at the Conference on Disarmament. These measures will significantly reduce strategic risks. China also calls on the relevant countries to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security doctrines, cease the development and deployment of global missile defense system, refrain from deploying land-based intermediate range missiles in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, stop strengthening the so-called “extended deterrence”, withdraw nuclear weapons deployed overseas, give up the attempt to replicate “nuclear sharing” arrangements in the Asia Pacific, and take practical actions to reduce nuclear risks. In this regard, both nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States should play a positive role.

Thirdly, uphold true multilateralism and safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The JCPOA is the right and effective solution to Iranian nuclear issue. The parties concerned should step up diplomatic efforts, restart negotiations as soon as possible, and restore the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA. The crux of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is the absence of a peace mechanism and the lingering remnants of the Cold War. All parties should address their legitimate security concerns in a balanced manner through dialogue, follow the dual-track approach to promote the establishment of a peace mechanism and realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The international community should continue to support the establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. The nuclear-weapon States should ratify the protocols to the relevant treaties on nuclear-weapon-free-zones at an early date. China reiterates its readiness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone.

No State shall put its selfish geopolitical interests above nuclear non-proliferation obligations. The AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation contravenes the object and purpose of NPT, undermines IAEA safeguards regime, poses serious nuclear proliferation risks, and undermine regional peace and stability. China proposes that the AUKUS nuclear submarine safeguards issue should be discussed through an open, inclusive, transparent and sustainable intergovernmental process and decisions should be made by consensus.

Fourth, give priority to development and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. At present, the global nuclear power development is gaining robust momentum, and the need of international community, especially developing countries, for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology are growing. China supports the central role of the IAEA in promoting international nuclear energy cooperation and opts for increasing financial and technical assistance to developing countries in order to contribute to implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China supports multilateral export control mechanism, but opposes the use of non-proliferation as an excuse to draw ideological lines, stretch the concept of national security, and use export control as a political tool for decoupling. 

The peaceful uses of nuclear energy should not be achieved at the cost of natural environment and human health. Japan should respond to the concerns of the international community on the decision of discharging the nuclear contaminated water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, fulfill its due moral responsibilities and international legal obligations, stop forcing through its plan of discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean, and communicate with its neighbouring countries in a sincere attitude, and ensure that the nuclear-contaminated water is safely disposed under strict international monitoring.

Mr President,

China is always a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. China is willing to work with all parties to strengthen the universality, authority and effectiveness of NPT, and to address the complex and intertwined challenges of international security and development with a win-win mindset, in order to pass on the torch of peace from generation to generation, sustain development and make civilization flourish, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent and changing times.

In conclusion, I wish this meeting every success.

Thank you, Mr President.