III. Playing a Constructive Role in International Arms Control

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has actively safeguarded the authority and effectiveness of the international arms control regime, played a constructive role in multilateral arms control in the nuclear, biological, chemical and other fields, and conscientiously performed its duties prescribed by international arms control treaties, making its due contribution to international arms control.

1. Nuclear Arms Control

Nuclear weapons are the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of humanity. Nuclear arms control is an important guarantee of global strategic stability and is integral to the security and development interests of all. Currently, nuclear arms control is facing challenges, as global nuclear strategic rivalries are becoming more intense and complex, and the risk of a nuclear arms race is growing. 

China has reiterated on numerous occasions that nuclear weapons must never be used and that a nuclear war must never be fought. From the day it came into possession of these weapons, China has advocated their complete prohibition and thorough destruction. China has always remained committed to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. 

China has resolutely safeguarded the international nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regimes, fulfilled its obligations to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and promoted balanced progress in the Treaty's three pillars – nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

(1) Nuclear policy

Upholding a firm commitment to a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy of self-defense. China was compelled to make the strategic choice to develop nuclear weapons at a particular point in history to deal with nuclear threats and blackmail, break the existing nuclear monopoly, and prevent nuclear wars. China's nuclear weapons are not intended to threaten other countries, but for defense and self-protection. China has never used nuclear weapons to threaten other countries nor deployed nuclear weapons outside its own territories, and has never provided a nuclear umbrella for other countries. 

Whether confronted with nuclear threats or blackmail during the Cold War, or in a complex international security environment with growing strategic security threats at present, China has always committed to its policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, firmly upheld a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and promoted the modernization of its nuclear forces to safeguard China's own strategic security and overall global strategic stability. China's greatest contribution to international nuclear arms control lies in the fact that it has the most stable, consistent and predictable nuclear policy among all nuclear-weapon states.

Keeping China's nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. China has always exercised the utmost restraint regarding the scale and development of its nuclear weapons. It never has and never will engage in any nuclear arms race with any other country in terms of level of expenditure, quantity, or scale of nuclear weapons. In order to demonstrate its determination to avoid provoking a nuclear arms race, China has conducted the smallest number of nuclear tests among all nuclear-weapon states, and has closed down its nuclear weapon research and production facilities in areas including Chongqing and Qinghai. 

In building a lean and effective nuclear force system, China is improving its capabilities in strategic early warning, command and control, missile penetration, and rapid response, as well as its survivability, in order to ensure the safety, security, reliability and effectiveness of its nuclear weapons and deter other countries from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against China.

Attaching great importance to the safe management and use and effective control of nuclear weapons. China has strict laws and regulations and reliable technical means to implement safety management throughout the entire process of nuclear weapons storage, transportation and training. These effectively prevent any risk of an unauthorized or accidental launch of nuclear missiles, and ensure that the nuclear force is kept absolutely safe and reliable. The command of nuclear forces in China is highly centralized under a streamlined and efficient process, which ensures that unit operations are carried out in the strictest and most accurate compliance with the orders of the Central Military Commission.

Adopting nuclear transparency, confidence-building, and risk reduction measures. China maintains that nuclear transparency should be conducive to strategic mutual trust, take full account of the security environment and interests of each country, and be implemented by themselves voluntarily in accordance with their national conditions. Given the current international security situation, transparency in intentions and policies is of the most practical significance. China firmly follows a path of peaceful development, pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and commits to a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons. This is the most practical measure of transparency. Since 1995, China has published two white papers on arms control and 10 on national defense, and submitted six national reports on the implementation of the NPT, explaining China's nuclear policy and strategy as well as the development of its nuclear capabilities. 

China has taken a number of confidence-building measures. It has voluntarily notified relevant countries of ballistic missile launches, and signed the Agreement on Notifications of Ballistic Missile and Carrier Rocket Launches with Russia. In September 2024, China notified relevant countries in advance of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean.

Due to the vast differences between nuclear-weapon states in their nuclear forces and policies, and in their security environment, there are no measures to reduce nuclear risks that can be universally applied. China advocates prioritizing crisis prevention and opposes the hypocritical approach of inciting confrontation and creating crises while calling for the reduction of nuclear risks. Nuclear-weapon states should effectively reduce the nuclear risks by abandoning the policy of aggressive nuclear deterrence based on the first use of nuclear weapons and reducing the role of nuclear weapons in their national and collective security policies.

Promoting the effective operation of the P5 mechanism. The P5 (the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the NPT who are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) mechanism is an important platform enabling the five states to safeguard the architecture of the NPT, and a significant mechanism to strengthen strategic communication and mutual trust. In January 2019, China hosted the P5 Beijing Conference which restarted the cooperation process that had reached a deadlock. In January 2022, China promoted the issuance of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races, reiterating the view that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. China has taken the lead in compiling two editions of the P5 Glossary of Key Nuclear Terms with other P5 members, which provide a valuable reference for the international community by promoting greater consensus and mutual trust, dispelling misunderstandings, and avoiding misjudgment between the five countries. From August 2024 to August 2025, China served as P5 coordinator again, working to promote greater communication about nuclear policies and strategic mutual trust among the five states.

(2) Nuclear disarmament

Upholding a fair and reasonable, rational and pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament. China advocates that all nuclear-weapon states should make an unequivocal commitment not to seek permanent possession of nuclear weapons, and seek to conclude a legal instrument on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of such weapons. Nuclear disarmament should be a just and reasonable process of gradual reduction towards a downward balance that maintains global strategic stability and undiminished security for all, and should be proceeded in a step-by-step manner. Countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should fulfill their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament and continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally-binding manner, so as to create the conditions for complete and thorough nuclear disarmament. When conditions are ripe, all nuclear-weapon states should join the multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiation process.

Firmly supporting the purposes and objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Being one of the first to sign the Treaty in September 1996, China has always honored its commitment to the moratorium on nuclear testing, supported the early entry into force of the Treaty, and promoted domestic preparatory work for its implementation. Since December 2016, five radionuclide and seismic stations in cities including Lanzhou, Guangzhou and Beijing have been certified. In August 2025, the Kunming infrasound station was certified. China has hosted National Data Center Workshops, participated in on-site inspections and other related activities, supported the development of the Treaty's verification mechanism, and maintained good cooperation with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Engaging in deliberations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). The CD is the only appropriate forum for negotiating a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. China supports negotiating and concluding a multilateral, nondiscriminatory, and internationally verifiable FMCT on the basis of agreeing a comprehensive and balanced program of work and the universal participation of all key stakeholders in accordance with the Shannon Report and the mandate contained therein. China has played a constructive role in related deliberations of both the UN FMCT High-level Expert Preparatory Group and the CD.

Calling for and promoting mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons. The adoption of a no-first-use policy is a practical move to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies and achieve the goal of nuclear disarmament. If the five nuclear-weapon states – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – could reach a consensus on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons, it would be conducive to reducing strategic risks, avoiding nuclear arms races, and promoting global strategic balance and stability. 

In January 1994, China submitted a draft treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons to the other four states. In the same year, China and Russia declared that they would not make first use of their nuclear weapons or target their strategic nuclear weapons at each other. In June 1998, China and the US declared that they would not target their nuclear weapons at each other. In May 2000, China promoted the declaration of a joint statement of the five nuclear-weapon states that their nuclear weapons would not be targeted at any state. In July 2024, China submitted a working paper to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, and once again called on nuclear-weapon states to conclude a treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons or to issue a political statement to that effect.

Actively responding to the legitimate concerns of non-nuclear-weapon states on security assurances. China maintains that all nuclear-weapon states should undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones under any circumstances. In April 1995, China issued a statement reiterating its unconditional provision of negative security assurances to all non-nuclear-weapon states and its commitment to offer them positive security assurances. In May 2000, China and the other nuclear-weapon states issued a joint statement reaffirming their security-assurance commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 984 (1995). In July 2024, China submitted a working paper to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT and advocated early negotiations on and the conclusion of an international legal instrument on unconditional negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.

(3) Nuclear nonproliferation

Promoting the settlement of nuclear nonproliferation issue through political and diplomatic efforts. China holds that all countries should abandon the Cold War mentality, fully respect each other's legitimate security concerns, promote peaceful settlement of the concerns of nuclear nonproliferation through political and diplomatic means, and eliminate the root causes of nuclear-weapons proliferation. 

China always maintains that dialogue and consultation are the right solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. It has constructively participated in related negotiations, and in July 2015 it facilitated the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue. China will maintain an objective and impartial stance, actively promote peace talks, facilitate the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means, and oppose the use of force or illegal sanctions. 

With regard to the Korean Peninsula issue, China adopts an impartial stance and adheres to the right approach of always working for the peace, stability and prosperity of the peninsula and the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue through political means. China calls on relevant parties to desist from an approach based on aggressive deterrence and coercion, restart dialogue and negotiations, and play a constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through political means and realizing lasting peace and stability in the peninsula.

Firmly opposing double standards on nuclear nonproliferation and the practice of favoring geopolitical interests over the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. The nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK, and Australia involves the first transfer of naval nuclear propulsion reactors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from nuclear-weapon states to a non-nuclear-weapon state. This apparently runs counter to the object and purpose of the NPT and severely undermines the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. China maintains that relevant safeguards arrangements should be thoroughly discussed by member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through an intergovernmental process, and decisions should be made by consensus. China firmly opposes nuclear sharing, extended deterrence, and other arrangements that undermine the international nuclear nonproliferation regime, and urges relevant countries to stop deploying nuclear weapons abroad.

Respecting and supporting efforts to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones. China respects and supports the efforts of relevant countries and regions to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones or zones free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on the basis of their own consultations and voluntary agreements. Nuclear-weapon states should respect the status of nuclear-weapon-free zones and assume their corresponding obligations. China has signed and ratified the Additional Protocol II to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Protocols II and III to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, the Protocols I and II to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, and the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. China firmly supports the efforts of ASEAN countries to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone, and stands ready to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. China respects and welcomes the nuclear-weapon-free status of Mongolia. China supports similar efforts in the Middle East, and has constructively participated as an observer in the five sessions of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction from 2019 to 2024.

(4) Peaceful uses of nuclear energy

Actively conducting international cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. China always maintains that efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons should not impede the legitimate rights of all countries, and in particular developing countries, to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. China opposes the politicization of peaceful uses of nuclear energy which may disrupt and restrict normal international cooperation. China has actively explored broader and deeper bilateral and multilateral nuclear cooperation, and promoted inclusive sharing of nuclear energy benefits. It has shared its technologies and experience with other countries, provided resources and platforms, and supported other developing countries in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, all while supporting the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the benefit of humanity. China has signed intergovernmental cooperation agreements on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy with more than 30 countries and regions, sent experts on more than 4,000 trips to serve countries in the Global South, and provided training sessions with over 6,000 recorded attendances from abroad. 

Adhering to a rational, coordinated and balanced approach to nuclear safety and security and building a fair, collaborative, and mutually beneficial international nuclear security system. China has synergized multiple elements such as legal norms, administrative regulation, industry self-discipline, technical support, personnel support, cultural guidance, and public participation to build a robust accountability system for nuclear safety. This system has ensured nuclear and radiation safety and maintained a sound long-term nuclear safety record. 

China has abided by the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and other international laws, fulfilled its international obligations, and supported the IAEA in playing an active role. It has helped other developing countries improve their nuclear safety and security capabilities, promoted international cooperation on combating nuclear terrorism, and prevented the acquisition of sensitive nuclear materials by non-state entities. China opposes any kind of attack on peaceful nuclear facilities, including nuclear power plants. Nuclear terrorism is an enemy of all humanity, and the impact of nuclear security incidents transcends national borders. All countries should engage in nuclear security affairs and adopt an open and inclusive spirit to forge a community with a shared future on nuclear security.

2. Missiles and Missile Defense

The issue of missiles and missile defense has a significant impact on global strategic balance and stability. After the Cold War, a certain country withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty)¹ and developed global strategic missile defense capabilities, blurring the line between missile defense and strategic offense on purpose and stirring up confrontation among major countries. This has severely undermined strategic mutual trust, increased strategic risks, and damaged global and regional security and stability. China has always addressed issues related to missiles and missile defense from the perspective of maintaining global strategic stability and improving mutual trust.

Firmly opposing the deployment of missiles and missile defense systems that undermine the legitimate security interests of other countries. In pursuit of absolute security, this certain country has advanced the Golden Dome global missile defense system without restraint and sought to deploy weapons in outer space, severely threatening outer space security. It has promoted the forward deployment of intermediate-range missile systems in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe and leveraged the military alliance system to facilitate the proliferation of related weapon systems and technologies, undermining the global strategic balance and stability. China firmly opposes such arrangements and urges the country to stop the development and deployment of global missile defense systems, and to cease the forward deployment of offensive weapons including missiles. China will resolutely counter any acts that threaten or undermine its core interests.

Properly developing missile technologies for self-defense. China has a vast territory and must deal with a complex and volatile security environment. To safeguard its security and sovereignty and deter wars, China requires modern military equipment and capabilities adapted to its conditions and needs. China's development of missile technologies and missile defense capabilities is motivated exclusively by self-defense and does not target any country or region.

3. Biosecurity

Biosecurity knows no borders. Its impact on the lives and health of humanity and the common interests of the world is of critical importance. At present, traditional and emerging biosecurity risks are compounded, and new biotechnologies face greater risks of misuse and abuse, creating a more complex international biosecurity situation. 

China has earnestly implemented relevant international treaties and thoroughly engaged in global biosecurity governance. It firmly opposes the proliferation of biological weapons, their means of delivery, and all related technologies. It resolutely combats bioterrorism and actively promotes the peaceful uses of biotechnologies.

Taking the initiative to fulfill its treaty obligations and prevent proliferation in the biological field. China has included biosecurity in its national security strategy and enacted and enforced the Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China. It continues to modernize its governance system and capacity, and strengthen its biosecurity institutions and capacity building. China always fully and rigorously fulfills its international obligations, including those under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)². In the process of consistently improving national implementation of the Convention, it has established a mechanism involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Health Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs designated as the National Contact Point. China resolutely opposes the proliferation of bioweapons, their means of delivery, and all related technologies, and continues to reinforce export controls over dual-use biological items.

Actively leading the global biosecurity governance. China is firmly committed to the purposes and objectives of the BWC; it supports the strengthening and institutionalization of the Convention in all its aspects, and advocates the conclusion through negotiation of a legally binding protocol with an effective verification mechanism to reinforce the authority, effectiveness, and universality of the Convention. This would ensure that the BWC plays an important role in eliminating bioweapon threats, preventing bioweapon proliferation, and promoting the peaceful uses of biotechnologies. 

To address global biosecurity challenges, China supports the establishment of a dedicated global biological arms control and biosecurity agency and advocates better coordination among relevant international organizations. It participates fully in activities under the UN Secretary-General's Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM), nominates experts and laboratories to the UNSGM roster, and has hosted several laboratory exercises. China continues to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with or within organizations and mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, ASEAN, and the China-Central Asia mechanism to build a broad consensus on safeguarding global biosecurity. 

Providing international biosecurity public goods. In July 2021, Chinese scientists, together with their international peers, developed Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists, which has been endorsed by the InterAcademy Partnership and has played a guiding role in ensuring responsible biological research and preventing the misuse and abuse of biotechnologies. 

China actively helps other developing countries to improve their public health systems and their professional expertise. It engages in practical bilateral and multilateral cooperation in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean in fields such as communicable disease prevention and control, health emergency response, inspection and quarantine, medical technology, biosafety laboratory management, and animal health and quarantine. Carrying on the great tradition of South-South cooperation, it has helped other developing countries to strengthen their biosecurity talent pools by hosting international seminars and workshops on biosafety laboratories management and techniques and the prevention and control of communicable diseases and animal epidemic diseases. 

China promotes all-round international cooperation on combating Covid-19 and other communicable diseases and animal epidemic diseases. To this end, China has directed its strength to the global epidemic prevention and control effort by providing vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies, sharing solutions to epidemic prevention and control and to diagnosis and treatment, and sharing information on communicable diseases and animal epidemic diseases, including the complete genome sequence of the novel coronavirus.

4. Chemical Weapons

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)³ has played an important role in safeguarding international and regional peace and security and promoting peaceful uses of chemistry. Currently, abandoned and old chemical weapons and other outstanding problems from the past remain; hotspot issues related to chemical weapons persist and are hard to resolve; and the convergence of emerging technologies such as AI and security concerns involving dual-use chemicals are becoming increasingly prominent. Peaceful uses of chemistry are yet to be fully ensured. China has always upheld the authority and effectiveness of the CWC, strictly fulfills its international obligations, and engages thoroughly in the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). It joins forces with others to build a world free of chemical weapons, and helps to ensure that progress in chemistry is used solely for the benefit of humanity.

Fulfilling its obligations under the CWC. As an original contracting state party to the CWC, China has put in place a nationwide and effectively managed implementation system by actively improving legislation on national implementation and establishing an inter-ministerial joint meeting mechanism for implementation. It has submitted declarations in a timely manner, has maintained more declared industrial facilities, and received more OPCW inspections than any other state party. By the end of 2024, it had received a total of 701 on-site inspections, 508 of which were of civilian industrial facilities, making it the first state party to receive more than 500 civilian industrial facility inspections. In April 2023, China submitted the Position Paper of the People's Republic of China on Industry Verification to the Fifth Review Conference of the CWC, to promote the establishment of a global implementation governance system that is better structured, more reasonable and more efficient.

Addressing hotspot chemical weapon issues in accordance with the CWC. China resolutely opposes the use of chemical weapons by any country, any organization, or any individual under any circumstances. It supports comprehensive, objective and impartial investigation – in accordance with the CWC – into incidents which may involve the use of chemical weapons, to reach conclusions which respect facts and will withstand the test of time. It opposes political manipulations using hotspot issues related to chemical weapons as a pretext, and any attempts to start things anew circumventing the investigation mechanism of the CWC.

Promoting international cooperation on peaceful uses of chemistry. In recent years, together with the Non-Aligned Movement, China has pushed for the adoption of multiple decisions by the OPCW on promoting international cooperation on peaceful uses. In May 2023, China and 14 other state parties jointly submitted to the Fifth Review Conference of the CWC a working paper on Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses Under the Framework of the CWC. The paper presents proposals on strengthening the peaceful uses of chemistry and removing excessive restrictions on developing countries' use of chemical materials, technologies and equipment for peaceful purposes. 

Together with the OPCW, China has hosted several events, including regional meetings of national authorities in Asia, symposiums on regional implementation, inspectors training sessions, an international workshop on AI and chemical safety and security management, and an advanced training session on comprehensive international management of chemicals, in order to reinforce implementation capacities of state parties.

Urging Japan to thoroughly destroy the chemical weapons it abandoned in China. During World War II, in flagrant violation of international law, invading Japanese troops used chemical weapons on a large scale in China. A total of 1,791 instances of chemical weapon use have been documented with confirmed dates, locations, and casualty records. The resulting casualties exceeded 200,000. After its defeat, Japan abandoned a large quantity of chemical weapons in China to cover up its crimes. Since the end of World War II, these abandoned chemical weapons have resulted in more than 2,000 poisoning casualties, gravely endangered the lives and property of the Chinese people as well as the environment.

The CWC clearly stipulates that a state party which has abandoned chemical weapons on the territory of another state party shall provide all necessary financial, technical, expert, facility as well as other resources for the purpose of destroying these weapons. After the CWC entered into force, the governments of China and Japan signed two memorandums, in 1999 and 2012, on destroying the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan, to advance the destruction process. However, due to insufficient attention and input from the Japanese side, the destruction plan has missed four deadlines. To date, the Japanese side has not yet provided comprehensive, detailed and accurate information on the whereabouts of its abandoned chemical weapons. Progress in excavation and recovery in some regions has been slow; there are still technological bottlenecks in underwater and underground detection; and the treatment of contaminated waters and soil remains unresolved.

Destroying its abandoned chemical weapons in China is Japan's unshirkable historical, political and legal responsibility, and also an international obligation stipulated by the CWC. China urges Japan to earnestly shoulder its responsibilities and implement the destruction plan in a comprehensive, complete and accurate manner, increasing all necessary inputs, speeding up the destruction process, doing its utmost to collect and promptly share with China information on the whereabouts of such weapons, actively coordinating with China in searching for and confirming clues, and effectively fulfilling its responsibility for treating contaminated water and soil. The international community should continue to monitor and support the destruction of the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan, and the OPCW should strengthen political review, supervision, and verification to eliminate these pernicious weapons as quickly as possible, ultimately realizing the vision of a world free of chemical weapons. 

5. Conventional Weapons

Currently, regional armed conflicts and instability are frequent, illicit transfers of conventional weapons are growing, and the incidence of terrorism, extremism, and cross-border organized crimes remains high. All these pose a grave threat to international and regional security and stability. 

In order to safeguard lasting global peace and universal security, China firmly supports global conventional arms control, fully participates in relevant mechanisms within the UN framework, and advocates strengthening and steadily improving international legal mechanisms for conventional arms control on the basis of balancing the legitimate security needs of all countries and humanitarian concerns.

Fully supporting global conventional arms control. As a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)⁴ and its five additional protocols, China has always faithfully fulfilled its obligations under the Convention and the protocols. It has diligently implemented the UN PoA on small arms and light weapons⁵ and the International Tracing Instrument⁶, and actively engaged in international cooperation on the management of small arms and light weapons. It has also worked to advance the adoption of the Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management.

China supports stronger global efforts on firearms control. It ratified the Firearms Protocol⁷ in October 2023, and actively participates in the firearms trafficking operations of the UN, the World Customs Organization, and Interpol. It has supported African countries in implementing the "Silencing the Guns in Africa" initiative through concrete actions. 

By routinely submitting reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, China is making a contribution to stronger control over conventional weapons and greater transparency in their transfers.

Actively participating in the governance of global arms trade. China adopts a prudent and responsible approach to arms trade. It strictly manages the export of military products and rigorously observes its international obligations and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. In July 2020, China formally acceded to the Arms Trade Treaty. It diligently meets the obligations thereunder and works to advance orderly and rational international arms trade. 

China has formulated and strictly abided by three principles for military exports: that they contribute to the recipient country's legitimate self-defense capability; that they do not undermine the peace, security and stability of the region concerned and the wider world; and that they involve no interference in the recipient country's internal affairs. 

In arms trade cooperation, China engages exclusively with sovereign states and undertakes not to sell weapons to entities with no governmental authorization. It clearly requires recipient countries to provide end-user and end-use certificates and a commitment not to transfer military items imported from China to any third party without China's prior consent.

Strengthening international assistance and cooperation on mine action. China devotes great attention to humanitarian challenges posed by landmines. Since 1998, it has provided training sessions, mine detection and clearing devices, on-site mine clearing assistance, victim support, and humanitarian supplies to more than 40 Asian, African and Latin American countries, and has held almost 30 international humanitarian mine clearance training sessions. Chinese peacekeeping troops have removed more than 21,600 landmines and unexploded ordnance of various types in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia, and Liberia, earning gratitude from the UN and the countries concerned. In 2024, China announced the launch of its "Action for a Mine-Free Africa". In the same year, China and ASEAN issued the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement on Strengthening Humanitarian Mine Action Cooperation, charting the course for future collaboration.

¹ The full names are: the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems, and the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles.

² The full name is: the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.

³ The full name is: the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction.

⁴ The full name is: the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.

⁵ The full name is: the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

⁶ The full name is: the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.

⁷ The full name is: the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.