Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: mfa.gov.cn

The Chinese Foreign Ministry firmly opposes US’ accusations and smears against China in the US’ annual report on arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation recently, urging the US to stop its self-righteous behavior of pointing fingers at other countries and respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community on US’ compliance. 

The US Department of State released the 2023 Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments on April 15, which blames China for conducting opaque nuclear tests that lack transparency, sensitive biological activities and proliferation of missile technology. 

In response to the accusations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a press briefing on Monday that the US concocts so-called reports on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament compliance every year, giving itself credit and acting as a judge to criticize the compliance of other countries, making unfounded accusations and smearing at will, which China firmly opposes. 

In fact, the US itself has a track record of misconduct in the fields of arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation of missile technology in recent years, especially its persistent adherence to Cold War mentality, reckless provocation of great power confrontation, unchecked military expansion, and relentless pursuit of absolute security advantage, which seriously undermines global and regional strategic stability and seriously affects the multilateral process of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, Wang said. 

In dealing with international obligations and multilateral rules, the US practices exceptionalism and double standards, pursues extreme selfishness of using what suits its interests and discarding what doesn't, constantly scapegoats and shirks responsibility, and even unscrupulously withdraws from treaties, completely abandoning the due actions and responsibilities of a major power. 

The accusations against China in the report are purely groundless, Wang stressed, noting that in the field of international arms control and nonproliferation, China adheres to multilateralism, firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations as its core and the international order based on the international laws, and conscientiously fulfills its international obligations and commitments. 

China has actively participated in the deliberation processes of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and etc, launched its domestic procedure to ratify the UN Firearms Protocol, and advanced the negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on outer space arms control, Wang said. 

China has contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions with practical actions to safeguarding the international arms control and nonproliferation system and the world peace, Wang added. 

We urge the US to stop its self-righteous behavior of pointing fingers at other countries, thoroughly examine its own actions in the fields of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation, and earnestly respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community on US’ compliance, Wang said. 

Global Times