A top Chinese official on Tuesday confirmed that Beijing would continue to “modernise” its nuclear capabilities, a day after it signed a joint statement with the United States (US), Russia, France, and the United Kingdom (UK) to avoid nuclear war and arms race.
Fu Cong, the Director-General of the Department of Arms Control at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Beijing’s plans to upgrade its nuclear arsenal are still in motion due to “reliability and safety” concerns. Fu stressed that “nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent; they are not for war or fighting,” dismissing speculations about whether China might use them in its conflict with Taiwan.
Fu also called out the US and Russia, the world’s two biggest nuclear powers, saying they still “possess 90% of the nuclear warheads on Earth.” He thus stressed that Washington and Moscow must make the first move towards nuclear disarmament due to the sheer size of their arsenal. “They must reduce their nuclear arsenal in an irreversible and legally binding manner,” he said.
On Monday, China, the US, Russia, France, and the UK signed a joint statement affirming their collective action towards nuclear non-proliferation, saying nuclear weapons should be used for “defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war.” The countries also reiterated their support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the goal of achieving a world without nuclear weapons.
Talking about the joint statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “China follows a self-defensive nuclear strategy, stays committed to no first use of nuclear weapons, and keeps its nuclear forces at the minimum level required to safeguard national security.” “This in itself is a major contribution to global strategic stability,” Wang added.
Tensions between the US and China over nuclear weapons development have increased over the last year. In November 2021, the Pentagon’s annual report about China’s military asserted that Beijing plans to have 700 nuclear warheads by 2027 and at least 1,000 by 2030. In contrast, Washington currently has 3,750 nuclear weapons. In the same month, the US also raised concerns over China building a second set of missile silos near the city of Hami in Eastern Xinjiang, dramatically increasing its nuclear capabilities.
However, Fu Cong called these reports “untrue” and said, “China has always adopted the no first use policy and we maintain our nuclear capabilities at the minimal level required for our national security.”