Lin Jian

The remarks by Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan reflect the outdated thinking of the US in its pursuit of global hegemony and absolute strategic advantage, the Chinese FM spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday, in response to Buchanan, spokesperson for the US Department of Defense's Strategic Command, who said that the US would allow an exchange of nuclear strike only on the condition that it retains some of its arsenal to further deter potential adversaries.

Buchanan said it at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commenting on the possible use of nuclear weapons, according to media reports. The reports quoted Buchanan as saying that the US would not want to find itself in an environment that would lead to such a situation. According to Buchanan, he considers the most acceptable conditions in which the US "continues to lead the world", which means maintaining a stockpile of strategic weapons.

Chinese FM spokesperson Lin Jian said that in recent years, the US has continuously upgraded its nuclear triad, expanded the role of nuclear weapons in its national security policy, reinforced nuclear-sharing and "extended deterrence" arrangements with its allies, and promoting forward deployment of medium-range missiles and anti-missile systems. These actions have destabilized the global strategic balance, intensified military competition and confrontation, and heightened nuclear risks, Lin noted.

Lin also stressed that the US should earnestly fulfill its special and priority responsibility for nuclear disarmament, further substantially reduce nuclear arsenals, to create conditions for attaining the ultimate goal of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament and make efforts to reduce strategic risks and maintain regional peace and stability.

Global Times