China: Nuclear Weapons
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the nuclear weapon capabilities of the People’s Republic of China in (a) 2015 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government takes a consistent, long-term, and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of this government. This underpins not just our relationship with China, but all our international relationships. In recent years we have seen China rapidly expand and diversify its nuclear arsenal with more warheads and a larger number of sophisticated delivery systems. We regularly engage China on these issues, including as part of discussions among recognised Nuclear Weapons States (the 'P5 'process'), and continue to urge China to engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote stability through transparency.
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