Dec. 23 (Asia Today) -- China on Tuesday rejected a draft U.S. Defense Department report claiming Beijing has deployed more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles in silo bases near its border with Mongolia, saying it was "unaware" of such deployments and accusing Washington of exaggeration.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing that similar U.S. claims were a familiar tactic used to justify modernization of U.S. nuclear forces and undermine global strategic stability. He argued the United States, which he described as the world's largest nuclear power, should prioritize substantial reductions in its own arsenal to enable broader nuclear disarmament.
Lin said China recently released a white paper titled China's Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the New Era, reaffirming Beijing's nuclear policy. He reiterated China's no-first-use pledge and said the country would maintain a self-defense nuclear posture at the minimum level required for national security, without entering an arms race.
He added that China continues to take part in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review processes and meetings among the five recognized nuclear-weapon states, maintaining dialogue on arms control issues.
