Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks at a Security Council debate on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction at the UN headquarters in New York, Aug 23, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy to the UN said Tuesday that non-proliferation cannot be used as a pretext to beef up military deployment, step up military presence or scale up military exercises.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a Security Council debate on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

On regional non-proliferation issues, Liu said all parties should stay consistently engaged in the process towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

All parties should keep up the search for solutions through dialogue and consultation and avoid any provocative action that may escalate tensions, he noted.

"Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is of critical importance to international peace, security and stability," said Liu, adding that challenges on the non-proliferation front remain.

"The unstable security environment makes some countries feel more threatened which in turn increases the risk of proliferation," he said.

To confront these challenges, Liu said the international community should build an enabling international and regional security environment and strengthen international as well as regional cooperation in this regard.

"The fundamental way out is to discard the Cold War mentality, and build a fair and just security landscape based on joint contribution and shared benefits," he said.