By Jia Pingfan
The US State Department recently released its 2022 report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, accusing China of failing to adhere to its nuclear testing moratorium and missile nonproliferation commitment and questioning China's compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the US concocts the so-called report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, styling itself as a judge to wantonly criticize other countries’ arms control and nonproliferation policies and practice. It is just preposterous for the US to exalt its own "exemplary" behavior.
As a matter of fact, the US has a deplorable track record in compliance with arms control and nonproliferation agreements and commitments.The US has withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty, unsigned the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), and flip-flopped on the Iranian nuclear issue. The US provides nuclear submarine technology to Australia, and it also works with Australia to develop hyper-sonic weapons and sells to other countries Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. All this heightens proliferation risks and impacts the international nonproliferation system. The US is the only country to stand in the way of negotiations for a protocol that includes a verification regime to the BWC. It runs biological labs around the world and conducts biological military activities. Numerous facts have proved that the US is the "model" of continuous malicious violations in the field of global arms control and non-proliferation.
No real basis in slandering China
Zou Zhibo, Deputy Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, selected three examples from the report to refute. First, the US questioned China's compliance with its "nuclear test moratorium" commitment but did not provide any evidence. In fact, US high-precision reconnaissance satellites can detect conventional nuclear test sites in time, but so far, no monitoring systems or reconnaissance satellites have found evidence of China's breach of commitments. Second, the US accused China of violating the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), speculating that companies with Chinese backgrounds continued to export MTCR-controlled items related to missile programs, but did not provide any evidence. Third, the BWC violation accusation is even more outrageous. The US said that it did not have enough information to confirm that China has destroyed biological weapons, so it suspected that China has not complied with the agreement.This is completely a "presumption of guilt" in jurisprudence, which is very absurd.
Diverting contradictions can hardly hide their own bad deeds
In terms of undermining the national arms control system, the US has successively withdrawn from the INF Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty and withdrawn the signing of the ATT. It has exclusively blocked the conclusion of the BWC verification protocol. It is the only state party that did not complete the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Conventions (CWC). In terms of violating the non-proliferation mechanism, the US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018, which invalidated the Iran nuclear agreement. Evidence obtained by Russia in Ukraine indicated that the US established a biological laboratory in Ukraine, which is suspected of violating the BWC. The US led the establishment of the trilateral security partnership (AUKUS) and provided weapons-grade nuclear material to Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state, which is a serious violation of the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism.
According to data released by the US itself, it controls 336 biological laboratories in 30 countries around the world. To undermine the international biological arms control negotiations and open the door for its own biological experiments, the US did not hesitate to move against the trend of the times. This fully exposed its double standards and hegemonism.
In recent years, US military spending has repeatedly hit new highs. Behind the high military spending are the frequent foreign military interventions by the US. According to the US Smithsonian Magazine, the wars, and military operations in the name of "anti-terrorism" launched by the US since 2001 covered "40 percent of the world's nations". According to Brown University's "Costs of War" project, these so-called "anti-terrorism" wars have claimed more than 800,000 lives, displaced more than 38 million people, and cost more than USD 8 trillion.
Increases risks and endangers world peace
From a series of international treaties such as the Paris Agreement and the INF Treaty, and a series of international organizations such as UNESCO, the Human Rights Council, and the World Health Organization, the international community can see which country breaks, abandons or seeks to withdraw from multilateral agreements the most frequently. There is no doubt that the US sets the record.
The "double standards" in the field of global arms control and non-proliferation will have a serious negative impact on the international security order and the global security situation. On the one hand, the international arms control process will be seriously hindered. At present, the US is provoking major-power confrontation in arms control and non-proliferation and is also escalating major-power confrontation in terms of strategy and geo-security. International arms control and disarmament will inevitably fall into trouble. On the other hand, the deterioration of the international security order will accelerate. In recent years, in the face of declining comprehensive strength, the US has taken up the banner of values and pulled Western allies and partners to suppress countries that do not obey it in order to maintain its world hegemony. The US takes the lead in destroying the arms control system and non-proliferation mechanism, which will undermine the international security order and cause disorder.
As a responsible major country, China has put forward the global security initiative, a new security concept and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind in the field of international security governance, all of which have received positive responses from many countries and international organizations. China lives up to its words and deeds, and always advocates the peaceful settlement of international disputes, promotes the building of a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and a universally secure community with a shared future for mankind. China adheres to the principles of multilateralism and extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and strives to maintain the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law. China is committed to strengthening international security cooperation, improving the global security governance system, jointly addressing global challenges, and contributing wisdom and strength to global security governance and world peace and development.
Editor's note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
