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China
Nuclear-armed state
Possesses 410 nuclear weapons
Has not yet joined the TPNW
Status
China has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
China has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
In 2022, it argued that “the nuclear disarmament process advocated in this resolution [on the TPNW] is divorced from the international security reality and runs counter to the principles of maintaining global strategic stability, undiminished security for all, and gradual nuclear disarmament”.
Nevertheless, China “endorses the purpose of the TPNW and understands the aspirations and demands of non-nuclear-weapon states to advance nuclear disarmament”.
In 2020, after the threshold of 50 ratifications for the TPNW’s entry into force was reached, China said that it “has always been advocating complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, which is fundamentally in line with purposes of TPNW”.
Along with other nuclear-armed states, China has said that it does “not accept any claim that [the treaty] contributes to the development of customary international law”. It has called on all states that are considering supporting the the treaty “to reflect seriously on its implications for international peace and security”.
A message projected onto the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2022 calls on China to join the TPNW. Photo: ICAN
Nuclear-weapon programme
China possesses approximately 410 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from missiles, submarines, and aircraft. Between 1964 and 1996, it conducted 45 nuclear tests on its territory.
In 2022, China spent an estimated $11.7 billion to build and maintain its nuclear forces.
TPNW negotiations
China did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption.
In 2016, China abstained from voting on the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
Further information
Nuclear-armed state
Possesses 410 nuclear weapons
Has not yet joined the TPNW
[HIGHLIGHTS]
Status
China has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
China has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
In 2022, it argued that “the nuclear disarmament process advocated in this resolution [on the TPNW] is divorced from the international security reality and runs counter to the principles of maintaining global strategic stability, undiminished security for all, and gradual nuclear disarmament”.
Nevertheless, China “endorses the purpose of the TPNW and understands the aspirations and demands of non-nuclear-weapon states to advance nuclear disarmament”.
In 2020, after the threshold of 50 ratifications for the TPNW’s entry into force was reached, China said that it “has always been advocating complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, which is fundamentally in line with purposes of TPNW”.
Along with other nuclear-armed states, China has said that it does “not accept any claim that [the treaty] contributes to the development of customary international law”. It has called on all states that are considering supporting the the treaty “to reflect seriously on its implications for international peace and security”.
A message projected onto the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2022 calls on China to join the TPNW. Photo: ICAN
Nuclear-weapon programme
China possesses approximately 410 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from missiles, submarines, and aircraft. Between 1964 and 1996, it conducted 45 nuclear tests on its territory.
In 2022, China spent an estimated $11.7 billion to build and maintain its nuclear forces.
TPNW negotiations
China did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption.
In 2016, China abstained from voting on the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
Further information
[PARTNERS]
Humanist Association of Hong Kong
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (China)
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Humanist Association of Hong Kong
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International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (China)