China has called on major powers to withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad and cancel relevant agreements with host countries to reduce the risk of nuclear war.
This came in a speech delivered by Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, during a session of the United Nations Security Council on Friday, following Moscow's announcement that it is seeking to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Geng said – according to the text of the speech published on the website of the Chinese mission to the United Nations – that nuclear weapons are "the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all of us." A metaphor for imminent danger as stated in an ancient Greek story told by the writer and politician Cicero.
"We call for the abolition of nuclear sharing arrangements, the non-deployment of nuclear weapons abroad by all possessor countries, and the withdrawal of those deployed on the territory of host countries," the Chinese diplomat added.
Regarding the Ukraine war, he called on the international community to play its part in creating conditions for peace negotiations, and urged all parties to exercise restraint, "and to stop all moves that contribute to prolonging the war."
The Security Council session, called by Ukraine, the United States and Albania, saw a row between Russia and Western powers over Moscow's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Robert Wood, deputy U.S. ambassador to the Security Council, said Russian President Vladimir Putin was escalating Russia's dangerous and destabilizing behavior by threatening to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Russian delegate Vassily Nebenzia criticized the positions of Western countries, saying that the logic of the former Western partners is that Russia is "responsible for all the ills of today's world."
Nebenzia stressed that the move does not violate Russia's international obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation, and noted that NATO is also pursuing a policy of "nuclear sharing", especially by deploying US nuclear weapons in Europe.
U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu warned that the risk of using a nuclear weapon is now higher than at any time since the Cold War.
Nakamitsu said all countries should avoid actions that could lead to escalation, mistakes or miscalculations.