China urges international cooperation to address nuclear risks

China's ambassador for disarmament affairs, Li Chijiang, has called on the international community to collaborate in addressing escalating risks and challenges within the nuclear field. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly's Disarmament and International Security Committee, Li identified Cold War mentality, double standards, and unilateralism as the primary drivers behind the deteriorating global strategic security environment and the setbacks facing nuclear non-proliferation mechanisms.

Li emphasized that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remains the cornerstone of the international disarmament system. He urged nuclear-armed states to abandon deterrence policies predicated on winning a nuclear war or being the first to use nuclear weapons. Furthermore, he called for the fulfillment of commitments to a moratorium on nuclear testing and urged nations with the largest nuclear arsenals to take primary responsibility by making substantial reductions in their stockpiles.

Additionally, the ambassador warned against certain non-nuclear weapon states that accumulate plutonium without credible civilian uses and advocate for the modification of the ‘three non-nuclear weapon principles’. Li reaffirmed China's commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons and its policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons.