White Paper on Arms Control in New Era Demonstrates Responsibility of China as a Major Power

By Guo Xiaobing

Nov 27, 2025 11:49 PM

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

China's State Council Information Office on Thursday released a white paper titled "China's Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation in the New Era." This is the third time China has released a white paper on arms control, following one in 1995 and another in 2005. The white paper was released to comprehensively present China's policies and practices on arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation, and its position on security governance in emerging fields such as outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. While the memories of the old world wars are fading, the risk of new wars and conflicts is rising. The postwar international security order, established through a reflection on the horrors of war, faces numerous challenges, and the international arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation system has been severely eroded. War or peace? Dialogue or confrontation? Humanity once again stands at a historical crossroads. Amid these challenges, China's new arms control white paper serves as a timely response.

The new white paper summarizes China's basic policy stance and pragmatic measures on arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation over the past 20 years, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, demonstrating China's responsibility and commitment as a major power in actively leading global security governance and safeguarding international peace and security. Compared with previous versions, the new arms control white paper has three prominent "new" features.

First, it introduces new concepts. The white paper, for the first time, proposes China's adherence to the principles of justice, cooperation, balance and effectiveness in arms control. This is a highly condensed summary of China's arms control diplomacy and practices, and also an important guide for future arms control work. The principle of justice means upholding fairness and justice, firmly safeguarding the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, opposing political coercion, exceptionalism, and double standards. The principle of cooperation means adhering to win-win cooperation, advocating true multilateralism, achieving arms control and nonproliferation objectives through political and diplomatic means, and opposing the frequent resort to force and unilateral sanctions. The principle of balance means taking into account both conventional and emerging fields, and addressing both the symptoms and root causes of global security threats. It opposes abusing the concept of national security and export control measures, and exerting restrictions on developing countries' rights to peaceful uses and legitimate development. The principle of effectiveness means being pragmatic, upholding the authority, universality, and effectiveness of international arms control and nonproliferation regimes, advancing international arms control and nonproliferation processes in a rational, practical and step-by-step manner acceptable to all parties, and rejecting attempts to replace the UN platform. 

Second, it introduces new fields. With the rapid development of emerging technologies such as outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence, strengthening security governance in these areas is imperative. In response to these issues, the white paper proposes that, with the universal participation of all countries, the UN should play a pivotal role in fostering a global governance framework and standards for emerging fields based on broad consensus, while increasing the representation and voice of developing countries. 

Third, the white paper introduces new measures. China is keeping pace with modern developments in the field of arms control, with numerous new initiatives. In July 2024, China submitted a working paper to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, and once again called on nuclear-weapon states to conclude a treaty on mutual no-first-use of nuclear weapons or to issue a political statement to that effect. In July 2021, Chinese scientists, together with their international peers, developed Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists, which has been endorsed by the InterAcademy Partnership and has played a guiding role in ensuring responsible biological research and preventing the misuse and abuse of biotechnologies. Regarding international cooperation in the peaceful uses of science and technology, China advocates balancing nonproliferation obligations with the right to peaceful uses of science and technology, and has promoted the adoption of resolutions by the UN General Assembly on Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security three times.

In response to the current complex and intertwined international security crisis, the white paper on arms control in new era offers Chinese wisdom and solutions. This demonstrates that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. China's development and strength are an opportunity for the world, a hope for peace, and a positive impetus for international arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation efforts.

The author is director of the Arms Control Studies Center of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. opinion@globaltimes.om.cn