China Calls on US to Halt Attacks on Peaceful Nuclear Sites

(MENAFN) Beijing escalated diplomatic pressure on Washington Monday, calling on the United States to cease strikes against the peaceful nuclear infrastructure of non-nuclear-weapon states — a demand delivered as China formally submitted its national implementation report to the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, addressing reporters in Beijing, said the review conference must compel the US "to fulfill its special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, correct acts of attacking peaceful nuclear facilities of non-nuclear-weapon states, stop forming nuclear alliances through arrangements such as nuclear sharing, and take measures to curb negative trends such as Japan seeking independent nuclear capabilities."

Guo further pressed Washington to confront the proliferation risks stemming from the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation framework involving the US, the UK, and Australia, warning that the arrangement poses unresolved dangers to global non-proliferation norms.

China's submission to the NPT review conference outlined several key positions: resolving nuclear disputes through political and diplomatic channels, reducing nuclear war risks, and defending the rights of developing nations to pursue peaceful nuclear energy programs.

On Beijing's own nuclear posture, Guo stated that China adheres to "a self-defensive nuclear strategy, follows a no-first-use nuclear policy, and keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security" — reaffirming longstanding positions ahead of what promises to be a contentious multilateral review.

Guo also stressed that China "firmly" upholds the authority and effectiveness of the NPT, calling for collective commitment to global stability. "All parties should reaffirm commitment to maintaining global strategic stability and adhere to the principle of undiminished security for all, and advance nuclear disarmament in a step-by-step manner," he added.

The report additionally advocates for a formal treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons among all nuclear-armed states.

Beijing has already gone on record condemning the joint US-Israel strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, previously characterizing the attacks as a "heavy blow" to the NPT framework. Since hostilities commenced last month, strikes have hit nuclear-related infrastructure across Iran, including facilities in Ardakan, Bushehr, and Khondab.

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