US review: China is notable nuclear power

By Kang Juan

China stressed Wednesday that its nuclear policy and strategic intentions are clear, following Tuesday's publication of the Nuclear Posture Review by the US that addresses China's nuclear capabilities and names it and Russia the two most notable nuclear powers.

Observers claim that the US' intent is to magnify China's nuclear power by putting it in the same category with Russia, despite the tone of the report being more moderate than that seen in previous official statements.

The review was the first carried out by the US since 2001. It recognizes that nuclear terrorism by violent extremists and nuclear proliferation to more states pose the greatest threats to the US and global security, US President Barack Obama noted in a statement issued Tuesday.

Besides moving the prevention of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism to the top of its nuclear agenda for the first time, the review also promises not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states that are parties to the Nuclear Non-Pro-liferation Treaty.

Obama called the review a major step toward fulfilling his pledge to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in the US' national security strategy, while sustaining a safe, secure and effective deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist.

In discussing the internal security environment, the report says, "the US and China's Asian neighbors remain concerned about China's current military modernization efforts, including its qualitative and quantitative modernization of its nuclear arsenal," though it noted that the shared responsibilities between the two countries for addressing global security threats are growing, and China's nuclear arsenal is much smaller than the arsenals of Russia and the US.

"The lack of transparency surrounding its nuclear programs - their pace and scope, as well as the strategy and doctrine that guides them - raises questions about China's future strategic in-tentions," it said.

"China's nuclear policy and its strategic intentions are clear. Since the 1960s we have repeated our position on many occasions, and our position has never changed," Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said at a briefing in Beijing Wednesday, without further elaboration.

According to a white paper titled "China's National Defense in 2008," China has always stayed true to its promise that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and it will unconditionally not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or in nuclear-weapon-free zones.

Cui said Chinese President Hu Jintao will hold talks with Obama during a nuclear security summit Monday and Tuesday in Washington and is scheduled to give a speech at the summit, analyzing the current international nuclear security situation and putting forward China's proposals on the strengthening of international cooperation to meet challenges.

A nuclear expert, who is a member of the government think tank for the summit told the Global Times that Hu will emphasize two aspects: nuclear disarmament and combating nuclear terrorism.

"As a responsible country, China has never transferred its nuclear materials, technologies or experts to other countries and will not expand its nuclear power," said the expert, who asked to remain anonymous.