What are Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)?

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD for short) refer to weapons used for mass killings. They are generally targeted at civilians, but they can also be targeted at military personnel. It includes three types of weapons: nuclear weapons (including radioactive weapons), chemical weapons, and biological weapons.

Weapons of mass destruction

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) refers to weapons used for mass killings, and are generally targeted at

The term weapons of mass destruction first appeared in 1937, but today WMD generally refers to only the following three (collectively referred to as NBC):

In fact, weapons of mass destruction (especially nuclear weapons) are rarely used on the battlefield, because once used, it means that the other party will also fight back with similar weapons. The ultimate consequences are unimaginable, and the scale of damage is large enough to destroy The entire human civilization. This was called Mutual Assured Destruction during the Cold War, and it was why the Cold War did not evolve into a real war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom have all expressed doubts about China's denial of biological weapons. Russia believes that China has been engaged in the development of biological weapons since the 1980s and has never stopped; the United States claims that China began the development of biological weapons before joining the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention in 1984, and that it continued uninterrupted throughout the 1980s.

On April 5, 1999, the United States "New York Times" reported that a former Soviet weapons expert expressed concern over China's transfer of biological weapons technology to Iran. In 2002, the United States imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies that sold materials used in biological and chemical weapons research and development to Iran. China denied it and passed legislation at the end of 2002 to control the export of related biotechnology.

In general, most people do not welcome weapons of mass destruction and are concerned about the catastrophic consequences if they fall into the hands of dangerous leaders. Many people are working to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the destruction of existing weapons of mass destruction.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1540 (2004), which requires the prevention of non-state actors from acquiring and spreading weapons of mass destruction. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all countries and other key actors to step up their efforts to end the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "This is about the safety and security of everyone. Weapons of mass destruction do not have any constructive role in the world today. These evil weapons will not be safe no matter what people control." ^[1] Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmi The UN General Assembly stated that until the right to equal national security and the threat posed by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction cannot be ensured, the future of a "new Middle East" will be difficult to achieve and will seriously weaken the NPT Credibility. In this regard, he made three recommendations and called on the international community to promote the establishment of "nuclear-weapon-free and weapons of mass destruction zones" in the Middle East. ^[2]

The ICRC emphasizes the urgent need for greater progress in eliminating all types of weapons of mass destruction in the world. A battle against the use of lethal chlorine by tens of thousands of soldiers during World War I led to the 1925 Geneva Protocol banning the use of chemical and biological weapons in warfare. The ban was further strengthened with the conclusion of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Vice-President Christina Bailey said that the use of lethal nerve gas and chlorine in Syria in 2013 and 2014 did not mean that the legal ban was disappointing. "Instead, the power of any rule is tested through violations of the rules and through the response of the international community to violations." "Therefore, our responsibility is not only to promote the formulation of laws. It is also to promote the understanding of laws, Accept and respect. " ^[3]