U.S. accusation of Chinese nuclear explosive tests completely groundless: Chinese envoy

VIENNA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The recent U.S. accusation of Chinese nuclear explosive tests is completely groundless, said Li Song, permanent representative of China to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, in an interview on Wednesday.

U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno recently made unwarranted remarks at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, accusing China of having conducted a nuclear explosive test in June 2020. In response, Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), immediately issued a statement clarifying that the International Monitoring System of CTBTO did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion at that time.

This fully demonstrates that the U.S. accusation of Chinese nuclear explosive tests is completely groundless, Li said, noting that the U.S. actions are extremely irresponsible and driven by ulterior motives, aimed at fabricating pretexts for its own resumption of nuclear tests, and that China firmly rejects such actions.

Li also said that he had a meeting on Tuesday with Floyd, during which he firmly refuted the groundless accusations made by the United States and reiterated China's firm commitment to and steadfast support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

China is among the first countries to sign the CTBT and has consistently and firmly supported its purposes and objectives. Since announcing a moratorium on nuclear testing in 1996, China has strictly honored its commitment and has never conducted any activities in violation of its obligations, Li said, noting that China has received high recognition from the international community by resolutely upholding the international consensus on banning nuclear tests.

The Chinese envoy urged the United States, who is sitting on an enormous nuclear arsenal, to fulfill its special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, which is the long-standing international consensus.

U.S. move of distorting and vilifying China's nuclear policy is essentially part of its political manipulation to seek nuclear supremacy and shirk its own nuclear disarmament responsibility, Li stressed. The United States is the biggest source of disruption to the international nuclear order and global strategic stability, Li added.

Li also emphasized that China urges the United States to renew the commitment of the five nuclear-weapons states to a moratorium on nuclear testing, uphold the global consensus on the ban on nuclear testing, and take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation regime.

China has always remained committed to the path of peaceful development, and firmly pursued a nuclear strategy of self-defense, Li said. China's nuclear policy maintains long-term stability and it will continue to play a constructive role in safeguarding international peace and security, Li added. ■