China maintains a minimal nuclear arsenal in order to maintain security, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said on Wednesday, commenting on the Pentagon's next annual report on China's military power, submitted to the US Congress.
According to the diplomat, China has always strictly adhered to a defensive nuclear strategy and followed the policy of not using nuclear weapons first. It maintains its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level necessary for national security, Liu Pengyu stressed.
The representative of China also noted that Beijing will not threaten to use nuclear weapons to any country as long as it does not use or threaten to use them against China itself. He also recalled that China is actively involved in multilateral arms control processes.
