The Chinese delegation expounds its position on nuclear disarmament at the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

The Chinese delegation made a general statement on May 2 at Main Committee I of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons, reiterating that China has always supported a comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons and their eventual total elimination. The statement noted that the current international security situation is undergoing complex changes, and the environment for nuclear disarmament has been affected. China believes that a few nuclear powers are advancing the modernization of their nuclear forces, strengthening combat readiness, and developing lowyield nuclear weapons, which is not conducive to global strategic stability and will also increase the risk of regional arms races. China put forward four propositions: uphold a gradual and orderly approach to nuclear disarmament and safeguard international security and strategic stability; promote nuclearweapon states to withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad, and oppose destabilizing antimissile systems; enhance the shared will to prevent nuclear war and, as soon as possible, begin negotiations on nofirstuse of nuclear weapons and negative security assurances; and, on the basis of voluntariness and equality, advance nuclear transparency without undermining national security. China also stated that it will continue to contribute to safeguarding the international nuclear arms control system.