CHAPTER 4
CHINA’S VIEWS ON THE ROAD MAP TO NUCLE AR DISARMAMENT WA N G J I A
INTRODUCTION The enormously destructive eects of nuclear weapons pose a huge potential threat to humans, and consequently these weapons have raised serious concerns since they were first developed. The nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred during the Cold War aggravated these worries, and as the competition intensified, more and more calls arose in favor of nuclear disarmament. The two superpowers themselves became worried that the nuclear arms race would get out of control and that they would be unable to bear the resulting heavy financial burden and risk of nuclear conflict. Thus, they agreed to develop certain rules to suspend it. Both countries gradually realized that there would never be a winner in a nuclear war. At the urging of people around the world, including citizens of both countries, the United States and the Soviet Union began to set limits on nuclear weapons and gradually moved to reduce their arsenals. Faced with a nuclear arms race between the two superpowers, China both opposed their nuclear monopoly and nuclear threats and also made an unconditional commitment to no first use of nuclear weapons. It exercised self-restraint in the number and variety of nuclear weapons that it developed, and it did not engage in an arms race with any country.
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