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.