(July 29th, Geneva)

Thank you, Madam moderator.

Good afternoon, dear colleagues.

I would like to begin by thanking UNIDIR and Swiss government for hosting this event and inviting me to be a panelist. In the current review cycle, the issue of nuclear risk has received increasing attention, with various views and propositions put forward from different perspectives, including from the New Agenda Coalition, the “Stockholm Initiative” and other groups of countries and individual states. In this backdrop, the side event will help us enhance understanding of different ideas and perspectives, and help brainstorm and explore realistic and feasible measures to reduce nuclear risks as the title indicated “from ideas to action”.

China attaches great importance to the issue of “nuclear risk reduction”. We have submitted a working paper titled “Nuclear Risk Reduction”(NPT/CONF.2026/PC.I/WP.30) to the first PrepCom for the 2026 Review Conference last year, which comprehensively elaborated China’s views and perspectives on nuclear risk reduction. This year, we submitted another two working papers on “No-first-use of Nuclear Weapons Initiative” (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.II/WP.33) and “Security Assurances” (NPT/CONF.2026/PC.II/WP.34), which further build on the previous paper and elaborate some of the ideas from the previous paper.

I would also like to take this opportunity to further highlight some of China’s views on this issue.

Firstly, a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, sustainable security should be upheld in reducing nuclear risks. This security concept is the important prerequisite for achieving nuclear risk reduction. History and reality have fully demonstrated that the world today is a community with shared future. Cold war mentality, hegemony and power politics have no space. Upholding the concept of common security, abandoning the thinking of cold war mentality and the zero-sum games will truly achieve nuclear risk reduction.

Secondly, we should identify and eliminate the origin of nuclear risks. It is a pity that certain country is obsessed with cold war mentality, seeks absolute military advantage, and has taken a series of moves that undermine global and regional strategic stability, which increase the risks of nuclear arms race and nuclear conflicts. For example, continuous strengthening the role of nuclear weapons in the national security policies, tailoring nuclear deterrence strategies for other countries, comprehensively upgrading “nuclear triad”, seeking to forward-deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles, building up global anti-missile system and other strategic forces, and strengthening nuclear sharing policy and extended deterrence arrangement. My colleagues have elaborated further during meetings and side events of last week on the relevant issues.

I noted that some countries appeal for building the so-called “guardrails”. China does not deny the importance of setting up “guardrails” and managing crises, but we believe that preventing crises should take precedence over managing crises. Eliminating the root causes of crises is the fundamental solution. China firmly opposes the hypocritical practice of instigating confrontation and creating crises on the one hand, but conversely calling for reducing nuclear risks and seeking so-called “guardrails” to manage crises, on the other hand. 

Thirdly, it is imperative to immediately and effectively reduce the role of nuclear weapons in the national and collective military strategy as a measure to reduce nuclear risks. As UN Secretary-General Guterres appealed, I quote, “nuclear-weapon States must urgently agree that none of them will be the first to use nuclear weapons. As a matter of fact, none should use them in any circumstances.” No-first use policy is the most effective measure to reduce nuclear risks. Nuclear-weapon States should negotiate and conclude a treaty or issue political statements on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons, which will effectively reduce reliance of nuclear-weapon States and relevant non-nuclear-weapon States on nuclear deterrence and the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security policies, and thus fundamentally reduce the motivation for nuclear arms race and nuclear risks. China has submitted working papers detailing the relevant proposals, including encouraging the five nuclear-weapon States to negotiate and conclude a treaty on “mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons”or issue a political statement in this regard. We have submitted the document which includes some elements for possible instrument or declaration. China noticed that the countries of the Group of Non-aligned Movement and New Agenda Coalition support the proposal of no-first use, and look forward to more discussions and more support form member states.

It should be emphasized that non-nuclear-weapon States which participate in the arrangements of nuclear sharing or extended deterrence should also make relevant efforts, and should not obstruct their nuclear-weapon State allies from adopting no-first-use policy while hypocritically claiming itself the champion for promoting nuclear disarmament.

Fourthly, the fundamental principles of maintaining strategic stability and undiminished security of all countries should be upheld. Nuclear forces, nuclear policies and security environments vary greatly among nuclear-weapon States. There are no universally applicable nuclear risk reduction measures. Cooperation on reducing nuclear risks should be gradually promoted based on the level of strategic mutual trust among countries, and specific measures should be voluntarily negotiated by the parties involved. Meanwhile, nuclear risks reduction measures cannot be a substitute for nuclear disarmament efforts. States with the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and primary responsibilities, and continue to make significant and substantial reductions in their nuclear arsenals, in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner. We also need to be cautious that some countries attempt to shift the topic and shirk their responsibility for nuclear disarmament by advocating so called nuclear risk reduction measures.     

As far as China is concerned, we are firmly committed to the path of peaceful development and a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances and unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China has the most consistent, responsible and predictable nuclear policy among nuclear-weapon States and is most transparent in terms of its nuclear policy and intention. Such nuclear policy itself is the most effective measure to reduce nuclear risks.

China actively promoted the Joint Statement of the leaders of the P5 or N5 on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Race in 2022. President Xi Jinping has also repeatedly pointed out that nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear war must not be fought. China will soon take over the coordinator of N5 and is ready to continue to promote dialogue and cooperation among N5 on reducing strategic risks, and work together to strengthen the NPT regime.

To conclude, I would like to emphasize that China has been, is and will always be a staunch defender of international peace and security. We stand ready to work together with the international community to effectively reduce nuclear risks and contribute actively to achieve common security and lasting peace of the world.

Thank you all.