Remarks by H.E. Mr. Fu Cong, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China on "The Future of Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Regime" at the 2019 Moscow Non-Proliferation Conference

尊敬的各位嘉宾，

女士们，先生们：

　　很高兴参加今天的研讨会。

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to attend this Conference.

　　当前，国际军控防扩散机制正处在危险的十字路口。一是全球战略稳定框架动摇。美俄双边核裁军条约体系几近崩塌，现有国际核军控机制面临挑战。二是大国竞争回归。美国谋求全方位战略优势，将意识形态引入国家军控防扩散努力，极大加剧了军备竞赛乃至核冲突的风险。三是单边主义盛行。美国退群毁约，挥舞单边制裁和长臂管辖大棒，严重冲击国际核裁军与核不扩散体系。四是新兴科技发展带来新挑战。战略新疆域规则缺失，成为国际安全治理中的突出问题。

Currently, the international arms control and non-proliferation regime is at a critical crossroads due to the following reasons:

First, the global strategic stability architecture is under duress, with the collapse or near collapse of the bilateral arms control agreements between the U.S. and Russia. Second, great power rivalry is coming back with a vengeance, with the U.S. trying to contain and seek overwhelming military superiority over Russia and China in all fields and with all means imaginable, and introducing political ideology into the international discourse on arms control and non-proliferation, leading to heightened risks of an arms race and confrontation. Third, unilateralism is becoming the order of the day for the U.S.,which willfully withdraws from both bilateral and multilateral arms control and non-proliferation agreements and imposes unilateral sanctions with extra-territorial jurisdiction in violation of international law. Fourth, advances in emerging technologies bring about new security challenges, and the absence of international rules in these new domains is becoming increasingly prominent.

　　国际军控防扩散机制的未来取决于我们是否能够妥善应对上述危险趋势所带来的挑战。就中国而言，我们有以下六点主张。

　　一是奉行共同安全理念。当前军控防扩散领域的主要矛盾是多边主义和单边主义的较量，而不是美方官员所说的民主国家与非民主国家之间的矛盾。中方倡导共同、综合、合作和可持续的安全观。各国应相互尊重，照顾彼此合理安全关切，营造普遍安全的国际和地区安全环境，消除军备竞赛和武器扩散根源。

The future of the international arms control and non-proliferation regime depends on whether we are able to properly address the challenges brought about by these dangerous trends. In this connection, China would like to propose the following:

First, we need to recognize the indivisibility of security and adopt a concept of common security. The main contradiction confronting the international arms control and non-proliferation efforts is one between multilateralism and unilateralism, not one between the so-called democracies and non-democracies as some U.S. officials wish us to believe. China advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept. Respect for each other's legitimate security concerns, and fostering a regional and global security environment in which all countries feel safe, will help reduce the motivation for an arms race and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

　　二是维护全球战略稳定。核武器国家应重申“核战争打不赢，也打不得”，放弃先发制人核打击、扩大核威慑范围、预警即发射、研发低当量核弹头等政策和做法。美国应停止发展和部署全球反导系统。美俄新START条约应予延期。我们敦促两国在此基础上进一步削减其部署和库存的核武器，为其他核武器国家加入核裁军谈判创造条件。

Secondly, we must maintain the global strategic stability. The famous motto that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought" should be re-affirmed by all Nuclear-weapon States. Such doctrines and practices as the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons, expanding the scope of nuclear deterrence, launch-on-warning, and the development of low-yield nuclear warheads need to be stopped. The U.S. should stop the development and deployment of its global missile defense system. The New START between the U.S. and Russia should be extended. We urge the two nuclear superpowers to further reduce their nuclear weapons, both deployed and in stockpile, so as to create conditions for other Nuclear-weapon States to participate in nuclear arms reduction negotiations.

　　三是加强核战略与政策对话。越是国际安全形势复杂，核武器国家越应加强核战略对话，防止战略误判引发意外和危机。同时，核武器国家和无核国家也应加强沟通对话，共同推进实现无核武器世界。应尽早谈判缔结向无核武器国家无条件提供消极安全保证的国际法律文书。这将对减少核风险产生重要积极影响。

Thirdly, we must enhance dialogue on nuclear doctrines. The more complicated the international security situation gets, the more urgent is the need for more dialogue on nuclear doctrines between Nuclear-weapon States, so as to avoid accidents and crises triggered by strategic misjudgment or miscalculation. Nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States should also strengthen communication for the ultimate goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. An international legal instrument on negative security assurances to all non-nuclear-weapon States should be negotiated as soon as possible, which will go a long way towards reducing nuclear risks.