Beijing: China has once again reminded the United States to look inward on its nuclear policy as it has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
The US Department of Defense Tuesday said in a report that China’s nuclear arsenal is likely to have a stockpile of about 1,500 warheads by 2035, up from the current estimated number of 400.
Asked whether China plans to have so many warheads, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that in recent years, the US has been hyping up various versions of the “China threat” narrative to find a pretext for expanding its nuclear arsenal and perpetuating military predominance. He added that the world knows well that “this is a go-to tactic of the US”.
Shedding light on the nuclear policy of China, Zhao said that China’s nuclear policy has been consistent and clear. He said that China follows a “self-defensive nuclear strategy”.
“We stick to the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons. We have exercised utmost restraint in developing nuclear capabilities. We have kept those capabilities at the minimum level required by national security. We are never part of any form of arms race,” Zhao added.
Steering attention toward the nuclear arsenal and the nuclear policy of the US, Zhao said that the US has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. He said that in recent years the US kept upgrading its “nuclear triad” and strengthening the role of nuclear weapons in its national security policies.
“To this day, the US still clings to a nuclear deterrence policy based on [the] first use of nuclear weapons, and openly devises nuclear deterrence strategies against particular countries.”
He said that the US is engaged in nuclear submarine cooperation with the UK and Australia, which violates the object and purposes of the NPT.
“Our suggestion is to go through the recent reports issued by the US itself to read for yourselves what it has done and will do next on the nuclear front.”
“What the US should do is seriously reflect on its nuclear policy, abandon the Cold War mentality and hegemonic logic, stop disrupting global strategic stability, step up to its special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament, and further take substantial and substantive cuts to its nuclear arsenal, so as to create conditions for attaining the ultimate goal of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament,” Zhao concluded.
