UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the international community to safeguard the existing multilateral arms control and disarmament mechanisms, and oppose treaty withdrawals and violations.
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation, Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
Noting this year marks both the 50th anniversary of the treaty's entry into force and the 25th anniversary of its indefinite extension, Wu said members of the Security Council need to recall the historical role played by the treaty and to look forward to its contemporary significance in promoting international peace, security and development.
At present, challenges in the field of international security are on the rise and competition among major powers is intensifying, which has a serious impact on global strategic stability, said the Chinese envoy.
He added that contradictions in nuclear disarmament have intensified, unilateralism has prevailed in the field of non-proliferation, and politicization of peaceful uses of nuclear energy has become prominent.
"We should abide by multilateralism and safeguard the international order based on international law," he said, adding that the international community should work together for the setting of rules and regulations in new areas, such as outer space, cyberspace and artificial intelligence, to meet the new challenges to strategic security.
