China is calling for a united global effort to reduce nuclear weapons, emphasizing that one nation’s security is linked to the security of all. On Monday, Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, addressed the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.
Sun highlighted that the NPT is the cornerstone of international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts but is facing unprecedented challenges. He stressed that China supports the treaty’s role in promoting peace and development and upholds its authority and effectiveness.
Criticizing certain nations for pursuing military superiority and forming exclusive groups, Sun warned that these actions undermine global trust and increase the risk of nuclear arms races and conflicts. He urged the international community to stand together against unilateralism and power politics.
Sun specifically called on the countries with the largest nuclear arsenals to resume the implementation of the New START Treaty and to significantly reduce their nuclear stockpiles in a verifiable and irreversible manner. This, he suggested, would encourage other nuclear-armed states to join the disarmament process.
“We urge certain countries to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their security policies, abolish nuclear sharing agreements, and withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad,” Sun said.
He also emphasized China’s commitment to resolving regional nuclear issues through diplomatic means and opposed the use of unilateral sanctions. Sun advocated for nuclear technology to be used as a shared benefit for all, supporting initiatives like the “Atoms for Global South Initiative.”
“China is a nation that honors its commitments,” Sun stated. “Since acquiring nuclear weapons, China has pledged never to be the first to use them and not to use or threaten to use them against non-nuclear-weapon states.”
The NPT, effective since 1970, is a treaty signed by 191 states, including the five nuclear-weapon states, making it the most widely adhered to multilateral disarmament agreement.
