BEIJING - A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to reduce its nuclear arsenal substantively, cease its proliferation of nuclear materials and technology, and refrain from extending nuclear deterrence or expanding a nuclear alliance.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said that China firmly opposes the United States' expansion of its nuclear arsenal and shirking of its nuclear disarmament responsibilities under the pretext of a non-existent "China nuclear threat".

China pursues a self-defense nuclear strategy and maintains its nuclear force at the minimum level required for national security, Wu said.

READ MORE: US nuclear strategy change alarming

It is common knowledge that the US is in possession of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and that it follows a nuclear policy that permits the first use of nuclear weapons, he said.

In recent years, the US has invested heavily in the miniaturization of nuclear weapons for real combat and exercised double standards on nuclear proliferation, which is a severe threat to global strategic stability, he said.

Wu also said that the establishment of the AUKUS security partnership and the signing of a cooperation agreement on nuclear propulsion by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have severely undermined the international nuclear non-proliferation system.

ALSO READ: Australia conducts first maintenance of US nuclear submarine

These actions have given the green light to the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine reactors and a significant amount of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from nuclear-weapon states to non-nuclear-weapon states, he said.

These actions incite a global nuclear arms race, posing a serious threat to regional peace and stability, according to Wu.

"We urge relevant parties to earnestly listen to the insightful and visionary voices from the international community, abandon their obsession with the Cold War and zero-sum mentality, and refrain from going further down the wrong and dangerous path," Wu said.