Madam Chair, 

On behalf of the Chinese delegation, I congratulate your excellency for being elected as the chair of UNGA First Committee. 

Currently, major country competition and bloc confrontation have been intensified. Regional conflicts and unrest persist, and the risk of arms race is rising. Facing a changing and turbulent world, China would like to put forward the following points:

First, to abandon Cold War mentality and power politics and build a community with a shared future for mankind. In today’s world, all countries belong to a community with a shared future. No one can stay immune or enjoy security alone. A certain country sticks to Cold War mentality, develops military capabilities in all domains, and seeks absolute security at the cost of other countries’ security, leading to the increasingly severe international security environment and the difficulty of the international security governance. In recent years, a certain country constantly enhances the role of nuclear weapons in its national security policy, invests hundreds of billions of dollars to upgrade its nuclear triad, and speeds up the modernization of its nuclear stockpiles. This country continuously intensifies military alliance, builds various discriminatory small circles, and advances the Asia-Pacific version of NATO. It even deploys land-based intermediate range missiles and anti-missile system in the Asia-Pacific region, which seriously undermines regional and global strategic stability. It is proved that Cold War mentality and power politics will only lead humankind to a dead end. Only through advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, can we maintain international peace and security effectively. 

Second, to pursue common security and maintain global strategic stability. The complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, the establishment of a world free of nuclear weapons, and getting rid of threats of nuclear weapons and nuclear war, serve the common interests of mankind and constitute a shared aspiration of all countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that nuclear weapons cannot be used and nuclear war must never be fought. China calls on the implementation of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Race, and all relevant parties should make sincere efforts to this end. As the coordinator of P5 Mechanism, China will continue to make unremitting efforts in this regard. 

Nuclear disarmament should follow the principles of “maintaining global strategic stability” and “undiminished security for all” and take a step-by-step approach. Countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should assume special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals, so as to create necessary conditions for general and complete nuclear disarmament. Nuclear-weapons States should negotiate and conclude a treaty on “mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons” or issue a political statement in this regard, in order to prevent nuclear arms race and reduce strategic risks. All nuclear-weapon States should unconditionally commit themselves not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones, pending the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Relevant nuclear-weapon State should abolish nuclear sharing and extended deterrence arrangements, and withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad back to its own territories. Non-nuclear-weapon States under the nuclear umbrella should reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security policies. China urges relevant States to cease the development and deployment of the global missile defense system and cease the forward deployment of the land-based intermediate-range missiles outside their own territories against other nuclear-weapon States.

China pursues a self-defense nuclear strategy, and is highly transparent in terms of its nuclear policy and intention. China made the choice of developing nuclear weapons in a special historical period to cope with nuclear blackmail, break nuclear monopoly, and prevent nuclear war. 60 years ago, China made a solemn declaration to the world that it undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. Afterwards, China unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China has always kept its nuclear force at the minimum level required for national security. China has no intention of pursuing arms race or providing nuclear umbrella and deploying nuclear weapons in other countries. China will never seek hegemony with nuclear weapons, nor bully or intimidate non-nuclear-weapon States. Any attempt to smear or distort the nuclear policy of China will end up in vain. 

Third, to safeguard the authority of the multilateral arms control mechanism and improve the global security governance architecture. We welcome the adoption of the Pact for the Future by the UN Summit of the Future. Pact for the Future calls on the revitalization of the role of the UN in the field of disarmament, and recognizes the importance of maintaining and strengthening the role of the UN disarmament machinery. China will actively implement the Pact for the Future, and support the convening of a fourth special session devoted to disarmament (SSOD-IV) in a timely manner. We hope the international community could jointly intensify the key goals and directions of international arms control and disarmament under new situation on the basis of the Final Document of SSOD-I. 

As the single multilateral disarmament negotiation forum, the role of the CD should be strengthened, rather than weakened. In recent years, the work of the CD is moving forward amid twists and turns. Though facing difficulties, we should safeguard the authority of the CD, and advance the substantive work of the CD in a comprehensive and balanced manner on the basis of consensus. To start all over again will only exacerbate divisions and undermine international arms control process. 

China has always strictly fulfilled its international obligations and commitments, and firmly upheld the authority and effectiveness of various arms control treaties. We are committed to pursuing the positive outcome of the NPT review process, support the negotiation of a legally binding Protocol on verification mechanism to the Biological Weapons Convention(BWC). China will actively provide demining assistance to African countries such as Ethiopia and Somalia according to the Beijing Action Plan adopted by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

Fourth, to strengthen the global governance of emerging technologies through coordinating development and security. The emerging technologies such as Al, space and cyber are developing rapidly, which brings about both opportunities and challenges. We should address the security challenges of emerging technologies with a perspective of development, harness the new technologies aiming to contribute to the advancement of human civilization. Following the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit on global governance, we support the central role of the United Nations in rules-setting and global governance on emerging technologies. The politicization of governance of emerging technologies, governance based on ideological mentality, decoupling, or building a small yard with high fences by some countries will only weaken the ability of the global family in addressing risks and challenges collectively. The international community should reject these negative trends. 

China has consistently rejected an arms race in outer space, calling for the negotiation of a legally-binding instrument on outer space arms control. China believes that countries need to develop and apply AI technology in the military field in a prudent and responsible manner, put people’s well-being front and center, follow the principle of AI for good, and keep improving the security, reliability and manageability of AI technologies. We should strengthen regulation over AI’s military applications and contribute to formulating AI governance frameworks and norms based on broad consensus. 

Madam Chair, 

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue, as an important achievement of multilateral diplomacy endorsed by the Security Council resolution 2231, is vital to maintain the international non-proliferation regime and promote the peace and stability of the Middle East. There is no viable alternative solution. China would like to remain closely engaged with relevant parties to promote the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. 

The situation of Korean Peninsula remains tense. The Chinese side hopes that relevant parties keep calm and exercise restraint to avoid the spiral escalation of tension. Currently, the dual track approach and the principle of seeking phased and synchronized progress proposed by China is still a viable solution. The Chinese side will work with relevant parties and play a constructive role to turn around the Korean Peninsula situation and push it back to the process of political settlement. 

The AUKUS nuclear submarines cooperation is in contravention of the objective and purpose of the NPT, and has severe impact on the IAEA safeguard system. The Chinese side calls on the US, UK and Australia to respect international order based on international law and stop intensifying military alliance and inciting bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region. We calls for support of the IAEA member states to discuss the safeguards issues related to AUKUS submarines cooperation through inter-governmental process and make decisions by consensus. 

The chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China (JACWs) during the Second World War seriously threaten the lives and wellbeing of the Chinese people and ecological environment safety, and have become the biggest obstacle of realizing the goal of "a world free of chemical weapons”. Until now, about 400, 000 items of JACWs were discovered in 18 Chinese provinces and over 120 locations. The destruction of JACWs has been delayed for four times, and only a quarter has been destructed. China urges Japan to perform its international obligation earnestly, accelerate the destruction of JACWs. This September, a delegation composed of Director-General and members from the Executive Council of OPCW visited China and made a field visit to the JACWs disposal facilities. They reiterated the need to comprehensively and thoroughly destruct the JACWs as soon as possible. China appreciates the support of the international community, and looks forward to OPCW continuing to review and verify Japan’s fulfillment of its international obligations in a serious manner. 

It’s the legitimate right of all countries to use science and technology for peaceful purposes, which is essential to achieve sustainable development goals. The resolution titled “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security” has been adopted at the 76th and 77th Session of the UNGA for two consecutive years. The resolution aims to strengthen the role of the UN, promote dialogue and cooperation, and ensure the right of all countries, especially developing countries, to participate in the relevant rule-making and international cooperation be fully guaranteed, which is in the common interest of the international community. China will submit the updated version of the above-mentioned resolution this year, and hopes Member States to support it and jointly push forward the implementation of the resolution. 

Madame Chair, 

The People’s Republic of China just celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding. Over the past 75years, China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor of global development, and a defender of international order. 70 years ago, China proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which enjoys broad support by the international community. Two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth the Global Security Initiative, which brings impetus from China for world peace. Not long ago, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made an important decision on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. Chinese modernization is the modernization that follows the path of peaceful development, will contribute robustly to world peace and stability, will contribute robustly to the common development for all, will contribute robustly to improving global governance, and will contribute robustly to the advancement of human civilization. China stands ready to work with all peace-loving members of the international community, to actively implement the GSI and make new contributions to maintaining world peace and security and building a community with a shared future for mankind. 

Thank you.