China Says It Will Continue To "Modernise" Its Nuclear Arsenal

China Nuclear Power: China defends its nuclear weapons policy by saying that US and Russia should be the ones to make the first move on complete disarmament.

China Tuesday said it will continue to "modernise" its nuclear arsenal and called on the United States and Russia to reduce their stockpiles a day after global powers pledged to prevent such weapons spreading.

In a rare joint statement setting aside rising West-East tensions, the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France reaffirmed their goal of creating a world free of atomic weapons and avoiding a nuclear conflict.

The five nuclear powers also committed to full future disarmament from atomic weapons, which have only been used in conflict in the US bombings of Japan at the end of World War II.

But squaring that rhetoric with reality will not be easy at a time of heightened tension between those same global powers.