Overview
- Published on Nov. 27 by the State Council Information Office, the white paper outlines Beijing’s arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation posture.
- China says it has honored a three-decade moratorium on explosive nuclear tests and claims the smallest number of tests among recognized nuclear-weapon states.
- The paper reiterates a self-defense strategy that keeps forces at a minimum level and upholds a no-first-use pledge for nuclear weapons.
- Beijing discloses upgrades to strategic early warning, command and control, missile penetration, rapid response and force survivability to build a lean and effective deterrent.
- It urges UN-led governance in emerging domains and calls on the largest nuclear powers to pursue drastic, verifiable reductions, as outside assessments note non-ratification of the CTBT and continued U.S. concerns about year-round operations at Lop Nur.