Experts Question China’s Pledge to Avoid Nuclear War

China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Oct. 1, 2019. GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

Nuclear-armed China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—released a joint statement on Jan. 3 stating their commitment to avoid an arms race and saying that they “consider the avoidance of war between Nuclear-Weapon States and the reduction of strategic risks as our foremost responsibilities.”