MND: "America First" in cutting nuclear arsenal and military expenditure

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular news conference on Thursday.

Question: The US President said in a press conference that he planned to have nuclear arms control talks with China and Russia and to propose cutting the three countries' defense budgets by half. May I have your comment on this?

Wu Qian: It's incumbent upon the US, a country in possession of the world's largest nuclear arsenal, to fulfill its special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament and further make drastic and substantive cuts to its nuclear arsenal. This is a consensus of the international community. I want to point out that China commits itself to a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and keeps our nuclear strength at the minimum level required for national security. By so doing, we have contributed to world peace and security.

On defense budget, the US defense spending has topped the world for many years in a row. It is higher than that of the following eight countries combined. Its high defense budget is a concern to the international community. I believe that the US should put into practice "America First" in this regard and be the first to cut its nuclear arsenal and military expenditure.