BEIJING – China Foreign Ministry on Thursday reaffirmed the country's commitment to not pre-emptively using nuclear weapons.
Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was responding to a report by Japan's Kyodo News agency saying China would consider launching a pre-emptive nuclear strike in extreme circumstances. Kyodo said the policy was laid out in secret Chinese documents it had obtained, but did not say when they were written or by whom.
"From the first day China possessed nuclear weapons, the Chinese government has solemnly pledged never to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances and has always strictly adhered to this pledge," Hong told reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference.
"The relevant report is completely baseless and has ulterior motives," Hong said.
China, which conducted its first nuclear bomb test in 1964, presently maintains a nuclear arsenal of about 200 warheads, deliverable by land and submarine-based missiles as well as bomber aircraft, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Foreign observers have suggested China might abandon its no first use policy in the event of a major crisis over Taiwan or other crucial concerns, although ranking Chinese military officers and government-backed scholars have repeatedly denied such speculation.
