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China's Position Paper on UN Reforms (full text)
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-06-08 11:35 3. Disarmament and Non-proliferation
China has always
stood for the comprehensive prohibition and thorough destruction of weapons of
mass destruction (WMD) and opposed any forms of proliferation of WMD and their
delivery systems. China has been actively promoting the international nuclear
disarmament process.
All nuclear weapon states should conclude a treaty
on non-first use of nuclear weapons. They should also commit themselves
unconditionally to not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against
non-nuclear weapon countries or regions and conclude a binding international
legal instrument in this regard.
The international community should take
effective measures in real earnest to maintain and strengthen the universality
and authority of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
All signatories should adopt a constructive attitude and a balanced view towards
the three major goals of the Treaty.
China supports the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and hopes that the Treaty will come into effect at an
early date. China will maintain its moratorium on nuclear tests and work for the
early ratification of the Treaty.
China supports the early launch of
negotiation on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty on the basis of a balanced
program of work to be agreed at the Disarmament Conference in
Geneva.
China supports the important role played by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preventing nuclear weapon proliferation and
promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy in accordance with the purposes of its
Statute. Under the current circumstances, it is necessary to discuss, through
international cooperation and consultation, how to further strengthen the
nuclear non-proliferation regime, which includes such an important issue as how
to take appropriate measures to further strengthen the effectiveness of IAEA
safeguards. China stresses the importance of IAEA Additional Protocol and hopes
to see the strengthening of its universality.
China supports and actively
participates in multilateral efforts aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of
the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and takes a positive attitude
towards the immediate resumption of negotiation on a verification protocol of
the Convention. China supports the conclusion of a new biological security
protocol by the State Parties to the Convention through negotiations so as to
classify dangerous biological agents and establish binding international
standards for the export of agents of this kind.
China is in favor of
strengthening the universality of the BTWC and the Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC).
The States Parties to the BTWC should observe the consultation,
cooperation and investigation mechanism of the Convention, which is a main means
to deal with the alleged use of biological weapons. The Secretary-General
mechanism has its own historical background and scope of application. If most
States Parties agree, it may be completely reviewed through multilateral
negotiations.
China encourages all States Parties to submit information
on confidence-building measures as required by the Review Conference of the
BTWC.
Countries that have chemical weapons should accelerate their
efforts to destroy their complete storage of chemical weapons, old chemical
weapons and chemical weapons abandoned in other countries. The verification
mechanism of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
generally functions well. The States Parties can address concerns for breach
through mechanisms of clarification, consultation and cooperation. If material
breach happens, the Conference of the States Parties or the Executive Council
may call the attention of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to
that question.
China opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and their delivery systems, supports the strengthening of the
current international non-proliferation regime and calls for the resolution of
proliferation issues within the framework of international law by political and
diplomatic means. Any non-proliferation measures should contribute to
international and regional peace, security and stability. Like many other
nations, China is not in favor of the interceptive measures taken by the
Proliferation Security Initiative beyond the international law.
The
prevention of weaponization of outer space and any forms of arms race in outer
space conduces to global strategic stability and promotes the process of arms
control and disarmament. The international community should attach great
importance to this and take vigorous and effective measures to forestall this
danger. The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva should promptly set up an ad hoc
committee for the negotiations and conclusion of relevant international legal
instruments or work toward the objective of plugging the loopholes in the
current legal regime of outer space and effectively preventing the weaponization
of outer space and any forms of arms race in outer space.
The Convention
on Certain Conventional Weapons plays an important role in addressing the
humanitarian concerns arising from war. China has always actively participated
in all work related to the Convention. China hopes that the Protocol on the
Explosive Remnants of War will come into effect at an early date and be
implemented in real earnest. China will continue to support and participate in
the work of Group of Governmental Experts of the Convention, hoping progress
will be made in related work.
China supports the international
community's efforts in combating the illicit trade in small arms and light
weapons and supports the negotiation for the conclusion of an international
instrument on "marking and tracing of the illicit small arms and light weapons."
The illicit trade in small arms involves many factors such as disarmament,
security, development and humanitarianism and should be addressed through a
comprehensive and appropriate approach. In this regard, states shall take on the
primary responsibilities and strengthen coordination and cooperation, and the UN
should continue to play a leading role.
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