Issue Brief on “China’s White Paper on Arms Control: An Appraisal”

The contemporary international security environment is defined by increasing strategic uncertainties. Intensifying militarization, arms race, and rapid proliferation of the Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs) have further increased the challenges and concerns related to the arms control and disarmament efforts. In the backdrop of these anxieties, China, on November 27, 2025, released a White Paper titled: "China's Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation in the New Era." The White Paper comprehensively highlights China's position and policies on global arms control and disarmament, while also outlining its approach to security governance in emerging fields such as cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and outer space.[1] The White Paper is divided into five substantive themes: the arms control debate within the wider international security environment; China's arms control policies; China's role in multilateral arms control processes; approaches to security governance in emerging domains; international cooperation on nonproliferation; and peaceful uses of science and technology. This is not the first time that China has published a White Paper on arms control. Beijing published its first White Paper on the subject in 1995 and later in 2005, titled "China's Endeavors for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation."[2]

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