The deployment of a global missile defense system is a threat to nuclear disarmament, Chinese military officials and researchers have said, following the release of China's latest white paper on its defense policy.
The country has expressed great concern over the threat of such a missile defense system to international and regional security, according to the latest paper, which is considered to be the first time the Chinese government has responded to the United States-initiated missile system.
The white paper carried the comment in its section detailing China's strong stance on nuclear disarmament, analysts said.
The US deployment of the missile defense system offers no benefit to the global nuclear disarmament movement that the country has also promoted, said Teng Jianqun, deputy general-secretary of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA).
"China opposes the global missile defense system, which is not good for regional stability," China's Defense Ministry spokesman Hu Changming told China Daily yesterday.
China started developing nuclear weapons in the 1960s to avoid possible nuclear attacks from other countries amid the Cold War, analysts said.
When China obtained its first nuclear weapon in 1964, the government announced the principle of "no first use of nuclear weapons" and a commitment to the thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. These policies continue, as the latest white paper on national defense showed.
"China holds that all nuclear-weapon states should make an unequivocal commitment to the thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, undertake to stop research into and development of new types of nuclear weapons, and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policy," the paper said.
However, "the imbalance in world security will force some actors in the international community to seek nuclear weapons to protect themselves", Teng said.
In early 2007, four former senior US politicians, George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn, wrote the article Toward a Nuclear-Free World published by the Wall Street Journal, appealing to all countries to reduce the use of nuclear weapons and to stop the separation of nuclear weapons from terrorism.
"The turning point in US nuclear disarmament was caused by the change in the security environment," said Zhai Dequan, who is also deputy general-secretary of the CACDA.
There have been several waves of nuclear disarmament since the appearance of the nuclear weapon, Zhai said, but all these "waned" due to disagreement by the world's major military powers on the issue.
"As a strategic weapon, all political powers take nuclear armament as a guarantee of national security," Zhai said.
The US has expanded its national missile defense system, which focuses on the strategic abilities of other countries, even as it advocates nuclear disarmament.
The US launched its national missile defense (NMD) in the 1990s that was designed to shield the entire country against incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the early 21st century, the NMD program, which has developed into a system integrating other missile defense aspects such as space-based, sea-based, laser, or high-altitude intercept programs, has been modified to prevent the US from being subject to nuclear blackmail or nuclear terrorism by other entities, analysts said.
On Sept 5, 2000, former US president Bill Clinton backed the testing of the NMD system, saying that "such a system, if it worked properly, could give us an extra dimension of insurance".
China's latest white paper on defense said that the two countries currently possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear "special and primary responsibility" for nuclear disarmament.
"If the international community is willing to disarm the nuclear weapon, China will absolutely support such a move," Zhai said.
Cui Xiaohuo contributed to the story
The country has expressed great concern over the threat of such a missile defense system to international and regional security, according to the latest paper, which is considered to be the first time the Chinese government has responded to the United States-initiated missile system.
The white paper carried the comment in its section detailing China's strong stance on nuclear disarmament, analysts said.
The US deployment of the missile defense system offers no benefit to the global nuclear disarmament movement that the country has also promoted, said Teng Jianqun, deputy general-secretary of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA).
"China opposes the global missile defense system, which is not good for regional stability," China's Defense Ministry spokesman Hu Changming told China Daily yesterday.
China started developing nuclear weapons in the 1960s to avoid possible nuclear attacks from other countries amid the Cold War, analysts said.
When China obtained its first nuclear weapon in 1964, the government announced the principle of "no first use of nuclear weapons" and a commitment to the thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. These policies continue, as the latest white paper on national defense showed.
"China holds that all nuclear-weapon states should make an unequivocal commitment to the thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, undertake to stop research into and development of new types of nuclear weapons, and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policy," the paper said.
However, "the imbalance in world security will force some actors in the international community to seek nuclear weapons to protect themselves", Teng said.
In early 2007, four former senior US politicians, George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn, wrote the article Toward a Nuclear-Free World published by the Wall Street Journal, appealing to all countries to reduce the use of nuclear weapons and to stop the separation of nuclear weapons from terrorism.
"The turning point in US nuclear disarmament was caused by the change in the security environment," said Zhai Dequan, who is also deputy general-secretary of the CACDA.
There have been several waves of nuclear disarmament since the appearance of the nuclear weapon, Zhai said, but all these "waned" due to disagreement by the world's major military powers on the issue.
"As a strategic weapon, all political powers take nuclear armament as a guarantee of national security," Zhai said.
The US has expanded its national missile defense system, which focuses on the strategic abilities of other countries, even as it advocates nuclear disarmament.
The US launched its national missile defense (NMD) in the 1990s that was designed to shield the entire country against incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the early 21st century, the NMD program, which has developed into a system integrating other missile defense aspects such as space-based, sea-based, laser, or high-altitude intercept programs, has been modified to prevent the US from being subject to nuclear blackmail or nuclear terrorism by other entities, analysts said.
On Sept 5, 2000, former US president Bill Clinton backed the testing of the NMD system, saying that "such a system, if it worked properly, could give us an extra dimension of insurance".
China's latest white paper on defense said that the two countries currently possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear "special and primary responsibility" for nuclear disarmament.
"If the international community is willing to disarm the nuclear weapon, China will absolutely support such a move," Zhai said.
Cui Xiaohuo contributed to the story
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