Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui wrote an article in Issue 19 of Qiushi Journal (to be published in October 1) to introduce the international security situation and China's policies on arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation.

In the article, Zhang reviewed the international efforts on arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation over the past 60 years. 60 years ago when it was founded, the United Nations had regarded building and safeguarding world peace and security and making utmost efforts to reduce the consumption of the global human and economic resources for armaments as "one of its very important missions". During the cold war, the two military groups started arms race, the nuclear weapons were threatening the survival and development of mankind. Curbing arms race and safeguarding world peace were the common aspirations of the international community at that time. As the cold war ended, the international situation tended to ease. Important opportunities arose for the International arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation undertaking. Positive results were successively achieved in multilateral arms control efforts and a series of important arms control treaties were reached. In the new century, the international situation has gone through profound changes and forces of safeguarding peace and preventing war continue to increase. However, old disputes are far from eradication, regional turbulences happen occasionally and hotspot issues fall and rise. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are interlinked with each other. Unstable and unpredictable factors in the international security arena have seen an obvious rise. The international arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation system, as an integral part of the international security order, continues to play an important role in safeguarding world peace and stability. However, multilateral arms control and disarmament is still confronted with tough tasks and multiple challenges.

Zhang pointed out in the article that to further promote the equitable, rational, comprehensive and healthy growth of the international arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation undertaking, the international community should seize new opportunities and respond to new challenges by taking substantive efforts to safeguard international arms control, disarmament, and anti-proliferation treaties system, further promoting the process of arms control, disarmament, and anti-proliferation, and focusing upon the cooperation in the following areas: safeguarding the legal system of international arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation; resolving arms control, disarmament, anti-proliferation issues through political and diplomatic means within the framework international laws; intensifying the multilateral efforts in international arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation; and adhering to multilateralism.

He further pointed out that China is always a reliable force to safeguard world peace and promote the common development of mankind. The Chinese government has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, and is devoted to the international arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation undertaking. The policies and actions of China are positive, earnest and responsible. First, as a country with nuclear weapons and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has never shied away from its nuclear disarmament obligations. Second, China has taken an active part in international arms and disarmament efforts, strictly abided by and comprehensively fulfilled the obligations of international arms control treaties. Third, China has constantly strengthened the control over the exports of weaponries for anti-proliferation purposes and taken an active part in international anti-proliferation process. Fourth, China will unswervingly pursue a defensive national defense policy. China has taken many disarmament actions unilaterally, maintained a low level of defense spending, and strived to promote regional disarmament and build trust measures.