Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN. (PHOTO / FOREIGN MINISTRY of THE PRC)

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Friday refuted "baseless accusations" by the United States by listing what he called the "10 facts about US wrongdoings in disarmament and international security".

"Just now, the US representative spread political virus in the UN and smeared China on COVID-19, which is totally unacceptable," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN. "I must point out that shrugging off responsibility cannot cover the mistakes the US made in combating the pandemic, and cannot fool the international community."

In exercising China's right of reply, Geng responded to the comment made by the US representative at a meeting of the General Assembly's First Committee.

I have just one message: the US is the gravest threat to global strategic security and stability

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN

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Also known as the Disarmament and International Security Committee, the First Committee deals with international security affairs such as arms control, disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation.

During the committee's general debate on Friday, the US representative again made groundless accusations against China on COVID-19, claiming that Russia and China are engaged in a nuclear buildup, and that international peace and security are under grave threat, according to the Chinese Permanent Mission to the UN.

The envoy said that China opposes an arms race, upholds multilateralism and implements its obligations under arms control treaties and agreements. It also supports dialogue and cooperation in the security area, Geng added.

"I have just one message: the US is the gravest threat to global strategic security and stability," he said, before listing the 10 facts.

First, the US is "obsessed with military buildup", Geng argued. He said the country ranks first in military expenditure, spending more than US$700 billion in 2019, nearly 40 percent of the world's total for military outlays, and more than the next 10 countries combined.

The second point he made was that "the US is returning to its Cold War mentality".

"In its National Security Strategy Report and Nuclear Posture Review Report, the US blatantly defined China and Russia as strategic competitors, hyping up external threats, and stirring up confrontation among major countries," Geng said.

Third, "the US is pursuing unilateralism", the envoy said. The country "withdrew from the INF Treaty and the JCPOA, unsigned the ATT, and adopted a negative attitude toward the extension of the New START Treaty, exposing its pure pragmatism on bilateral and multilateral arms control treaties and regimes," Geng said.

He was referring to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a nuclear disarmament pact the US and the Soviet Union signed in 1987; the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a 2015 nuclear deal struck between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany; the Arms Trade Treaty, a multilateral agreement that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons; as well as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, a nuclear arms reduction pact the US and Russia signed in 2010.

Fourth, the envoy said the country "is seeking to free its hands".

"The US has been upgrading its nuclear arsenals, and lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons use. It has dodged its special responsibility for nuclear disarmament with the pretext of so-called trilateral negotiations, and even had discussions on resuming nuclear testing," he said.

'Political maneuvering'

Fifth, Geng argued that "the US is pushing political maneuvering" by following double standards on nuclear nonproliferation, abusing unilateral sanctions and serving its geopolitical agenda by using hot spot issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

Sixth, "the US is breaking strategic balance" by deploying missile defense systems in the Asia-Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe. It is also planning to deploy land-based medium-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, Geng said.

Seventh, "the US is impeding biological arms control", and eighth, "the US is delaying the destruction of chemical weapons", Geng said.

"As the only CWC state party still in possession of chemical weapons, the US has extended the deadline for the destruction of chemical weapons several times, and failed to fulfill its obligations under the convention," said the envoy, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.

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The ninth point, Geng said, is that "the US is relaunching its Star Wars program".

Finally, the US "is building an empire of hacking" by engaging in "massive cyber attacks and surveillance worldwide through programs such as PRISM, and developing its cyber warfare capacity in an attempt to dominate cyberspace", Geng said.

"As the strongest military power with the most advanced weapons in the world, the US has a special and primary responsibility in arms control and disarmament. 'America First' should be converted to Compliance First, Dismantlement First and Disarmament First," the envoy said.

teresaliu@chinadailyusa.com