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Nuclear Disarmament/Arms Control - Statements and Developments
This chronology includes statements and developments on issues related to China and nuclear disarmament/arms control, including such topics as nuclear reductions, prohibition of nuclear weapons, China's position on START 1 and 2, and a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT).
01/27/2004:
President Hu Jintao and President Jacques Chirac signed
a joint declaration of China and France in Paris, making
bilateral policy statements on collective security,
protecting world peace, terrorism, sustainable
development, environmental protection, international
trade, human rights, and arms control. On arms
control France and China made the joint statement:
"China
and France reiterate the importance of observing and
strengthening international instruments on arms control,
proliferation prevention and resolutely oppose the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their
means of delivery. To this end, the two countries agree
to form a task force for arms control and proliferation
prevention within the framework of bilateral strategic
dialogue and to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in
arms control, proliferation prevention, and export
controls on sensitive items.
China
and France attach importance to the strict observance of
the "Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty" and reiterate the
importance of the treaty. They are determined to work
for the entry into effect of the "Comprehensive Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty".
China
and France also reiterate that it is essential to
observe strictly the "Convention on the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons" and the "Convention on the Prohibition
of Biological Weapons".
China
and France endorse, in principle, the convocation of a
UN Security Council leadership meeting on issues of
proliferation prevention.
France welcomes
China's
formulation of national laws and regulations on
controlling the export of sensitive items and supports
China's
accession to the "Missile Technology Control Regime" at
the earliest possible date and its accession in due
course to other multilateral export-control mechanisms.
China
and France reiterate the importance of preventing an
arms race in outer space."
["Chinese agency Carries Full Text of Sino-French Joint
Declaration." British Broadcasting Corporation,
28 January 2004.]
4/16/03: China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that it had temporarily added tributyl phosphate (TBP) to its "Nuclear Dual-Use Items and Related Technologies Export Control List.". It added that the move was made in accordance with Article 17 of the 1998 "Regulations on the Control of Nuclear Dual-use Items and Related Technologies Export," which allows China to "temporarily decide to exercise export control on specific nuclear dual-use items and related technologies other than those outlined in the Control List." [Ministry of Commerce press release, 16 April 2003.]
Although TBP can be used in commercial processes, such as the production of ink, plastics, and paint, it can also be used to extract fissile material from spent nuclear fuel. In December 2002, The Washington Times had reported that Chinese companies had sold 20 tons of TBP to North Korea. Although TBP can be used in commercial processes, U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe that North Korea will use the chemical in its plutonium-based nuclear-weapons program. At the time, China dismissed these allegations. [Bill Gertz, "China Ships North Korea Ingredient for Nuclear Arms," The Washington Times, 17 December 2002; Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Press Conference on December 19, 2002, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China]
3/31/03: Hu Xiaodi, head of the Chinese delegation at the UN Disarmament Commission's 2003 session, gave a speech in which he outlined measures, consistent with China's various position statements, to encourage international nuclear disarmament processes. He expressed hope that eventually such steps could "lead to the negotiation and conclusion of a treaty on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, thus paving the way towards a world free of nuclear weapons." [ Hu Xiaodi statement at the 2003 session of the UN Disarmament Commission, 31 March 2003.]
12/17/02: In a speech entitled "Reinforcing Efforts to Prevent Nuclear Proliferation: China's Perspective,"Ambassador Sha Zukang, permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, included the following broad (and familiar) statements:
"The final destination of nuclear nonproliferation is the complete and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. Efforts at nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament are naturally mutually reinforcing and interactive. The present situation calls for the strengthening of nuclear nonproliferation efforts rather than their slackening. First, CTBT should enter into force and be implemented. We are deeply concerned about the report on the possible resumption of nuclear tests. Secondly, FMCT should be negotiated and concluded so as to effectively deal with both the 'qualitative' and the 'quantitative' aspects of nuclear weapons. The process of drastically reducing nuclear arsenals by the US and the Russian Federation should continue and be carried out in an irreversible and verifiable manner. Special attention must be paid to the extremely dangerous tendency of weaponizing the outer space (including the extension of missile defense into outer space). Should it go unchecked, such tendency would undermine the nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament efforts." ["Background Paper -- 'Reinforcing Efforts to Prevent Nuclear Proliferation: China's Perspective--Speech by Ambassador Sha Zukang at the Wilton Park Conference.'" Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UN. 17 Dec 2002.]
12/02/02: Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Putin signed a joint statement reaffirming the two countries' commitment to disarmament matters:
"The two sides will cooperate within the framework of bilateral relations and related international forums, promote the formulation and adoption of effective measures in arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their carriers. The two sides will make further efforts to advance their joint proposal on the conclusion of an international agreement on weaponry-free outer space. The two sides will continue their close coordination in resolving the issue of missile proliferation. They hold that it is necessary to further explore and advance the proposal for multilateral talks so as to formulate a legally binding agreement on global missile non-proliferation mechanism. Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations should play a major role in this area. China and Russia are ready to continue bilateral dialogue on export control related to non-proliferation." ["China, Russia Issue Joint Statement," People's Daily Online, 4 Dec 2002. <>.]
11/14/02: Liu Jieyi, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, spoke at the Carnegie International Non-Proliferation Conference on the outlook for international nonproliferation efforts and China's policies. Below is a key portion of this speech:
"We must also not ignore the link between doctrines and non-proliferation. An important factor for progress in international non-proliferation efforts is to decrease the dependence on nuclear weapons and to reduce their role in international relations and security strategies. The five nuclear-weapon states bear special and unshirkable responsibility in this respect. It does not make sense, morally or legally, to keep huge nuclear arsenals, to continue to develop new types of nuclear weapons, e.g., mini-nukes that can be more easily used in battlefields, to reserve the right to resume nuclear tests, and to target nuclear weapons on other countries, when global efforts for non-proliferation are advocated and reinforced."
"As permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear-weapon states, China and the U.S. share common obligations and interests in the non-proliferation area. Over the years, the two countries have cooperated fruitfully on a series of non-proliferation issues. Against the backdrop of increasing non-traditional security threats, China and the U.S. have much more to cooperate in the non-proliferation area. It is true that differences do exist. The key is how to address them. China believes that differences should and can be settled in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust. President Jiang Zemin’s highly successful visit to the U.S. has opened a new chapter in the Sino-US relationship. The two countries have among other things decided to establish a consultation mechanism at the vice foreign minister’s level on issues of strategic security, multilateral arms control and non-proliferation. I am convinced that through joint efforts, non-proliferation will be a positive factor in the healthy development of the Sino-US relations. China stands ready to further enhance its cooperation with other countries in the area of non-proliferation." [Liu Jieyi, Keynote address at the Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference, Washington, 14 Nov 2002.] [Chinese Text]
04/08/02: Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Hu Xiaodi had this to say at the First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2005 NPT Review Conference:
"Countries with the largest nuclear arsenals bear special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should continue reducing on a large scale their nuclear arms in a legally binding, verifiable and irreversible manner. Nuclear-weapon states should continue their moratoria on nuclear explosion test, persevere in CTBT ratification and entry into force, refrain from the development of new type of nuclear weapons and provide negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapons states unconditionally." [Hu Xiaodi, Head of then Chinese Delegation, Statement at the 1st Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2005 NPT Review Conference, 8 April 2002, New York]
03/28/02: At the Conference on Disarmament Chinese Ambassador Hu Xiaodi spoke on the necessity of negotiating a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) and a treaty on the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS). He expressed the wish that the Conference on Disarment break its deadlock to commence work on these important mechanisms of arms control. [Hu Xiaodi, Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs of China, Statement at the Plenary of the 2002 Session of the Conference on Disarmament, 28 March 2002, Geneva]
02/07/02: At the plenary of the 2002 session of the Conference on Disarmament, Chinese Ambassador Hu Xiaodi implicitly criticized the United States, saying that while the legal framework of disarmament was crucial to maintaining global and regional security,
"Nevertheless, this legal regime is now confronted with unprecedented challenges, including in particular attempts to replace international cooperation with unilateral actions and the adoption of policies of expediency towards international legal instruments in the interests of one’s own 'absolute security'.
Subsequently, we have witnessed a series of negative developments:
--The abrogation of the ABM Treaty.
--The adoption of egoistic attitude and double standards on the issue of non-proliferation;
--The practice of applying stringent measures on others and lenient ones on oneself with respect to treaty compliance;
--The adoption of certain domestic legislation, which is tantamount to distorting the obligations explicitly provided for in international treaty;
--Push for speedy conclusion of a treaty with an extremely strict verification regime during negotiations, but make a U-turn when the deal is done to reject out of hand the ratification of such a treaty.
All those behaviors have not only undermined the credibility and fairness of international arms control and disarmament treaties, but also impaired the confidence among States." [Hu Xiaodi, Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs of China, Statement at the Plenary of the 2002 Session of the Conference on Disarmament, 7 February 2002, Geneva]
11/15/01: When asked about China's attitude
toward the recent consultations between Presidents Bush
and Putin, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
spokesperson stated that, "China welcomes the
announcement by the US and Russian side to significantly
reduce their respective nuclear arsenals. It is our hope
that the reduction of nuclear weapons will be conducted
in a verifiable and legally binding manner so as to
ensure the irreversibility of the nuclear disarmament
process." ["Transcript of China MFA Spokesman 15
November Press Conference (English Version)", FBIS
transcribed text, 11/19/01.]
11/12/01: Shen Guofang, head of the Chinese delegation at the
Second Conference on Facilitating the Entry Into Force
of the CTBT, outlined steps for the international
community to take:
"First of all, an international environment favourable for countries to trust and support the CTBT should be created. As long as the motivation of some countries to acquire and develop nuclear weapons is fundamentally removed, more countries will be attracted to join the CTBT. The most effective way in this regard is to establish a new security concept centering on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, abandon Cold War mentality and power politics, renounce nuclear deterrence strategy based on the first use of nuclear weapons and address disputes through dialogue and cooperation."
"Second, efforts should be made to maintain global strategic balance and stability and prevent new nuclear arms race. The research into, deployment and proliferation of an advanced anti-missile system will disrupt the existing balance and stability of the current international strategic pattern, remove the basis of the nuclear disarmament process and, as a result, a fresh round of nuclear arms race will be on the verge of breaking out. Such dangerous developments will inevitably make CTBT a victim."
"Third, international cooperation in arms control has to be strengthened, for it is the only right way to promote arms control and disarmament. Any unilateral and expedient attitude on questions of disarmament and non-proliferation will only undermine the efforts and confidence of countries in cooperation for this purpose and bring the international disarmament and non-proliferation process to stagnation. Such a scenario serves the interest of no country. At present, it is most imperative to uphold the authority of the CTBT. Countries should join together to urge the country concerned to change its erroneous position on the CTBT, observe the principle of "pacta sunt servanda" in international law, stick to its commitment of a moratorium on nuclear test explosions, and pay its contribution to the PrepCom for CTBTO in full and in a timely manner so as to promote the preparations for the CTBTO in a comprehensive and balanced way and ensure its entry into force according to the relevant provisions at an early date. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance the universality of the CTBT by promoting early signature and ratification of the treaty by countries that have not done so yet." [Shen Guofang, Statement at the 2nd Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, New York, 12 Nov 2001.]
07/16/01: China and Russia issued a joint statement, which mentioned several disarmament-related issues of concern. The statement urged work to prevent arms deployment in outer space, and advocated breaking the deadlock at the Conference on Disarmament to proceed with work on a fissile material production ban treaty. The two countries also reiterated their resolution to abide by the "Final Document" of the 2000 NPT Review Conference and work for universal adherence to the NPT. [China and Russia Joint Statement, signed 16 July 2001 in Moscow (FBIS transcribed text).]
06/15/01: China and the other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, issued a statement supporting the ABM Treaty, emphasizing its importance to disarmament and international stability. The statement came as President Bush toured Europe to rally support for his missile defense plans. [Dimitry Zaks, "China, Russia and Central Asia unite against US missile shield," Agence France Presse, 15 June 2001.]
03/14/01: In a briefing on missile defense topics, Sha Zukang, director-general of the PRC MOFA's Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, was asked whether China would "withdraw" from the CTBT (which the PRC has signed but not yet ratified) if the US deploys a NMD system. He responded, in part:
"We hope that after close examination and review, the Bush Administration will come to some conclusions acceptable to all of us. This is my response. I know you are not very happy because I didn't tell you whether China would withdraw or not. Well, I have no idea, but we have never thought of withdrawing from CTBT. Because we don't know what NMD looks like. We don't know whether it will work or not. To link CTBT with NMD, at least it is too early. Let me emphasize that, because you asked a hypothetical question, it has never come to us so far to link CTBT with the U.S. NMD program." [Transcript of Sha Zukang's Briefing on Missile Defense (FBIS transcription), Beijing Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, 23 March 2001.]
Though expressing opposition to US NMD plans, Sha Zukang also stated that China was willing to discuss the matter with the United States, leaving room for diplomatic maneuvering.
10/16/00: The white paper, "China's National Defense in 2000," published by China's Information Office of the State Council contained the following statements regarding nuclear disarmament, nuclear weapon free zones, the CTBT, the FMCT, and missile defense:
"On the very first day it came into possession of nuclear weapons, China solemnly declared that it would not be the first to use such weapons, no matter what the time or the circumstances. Later, China undertook unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones...
"The CTBT is an important milestone in the process of international nuclear disarmament. As one of the first countries to sign the CTBT, China has been actively participating in the work of the Preparatory Commission of the Treaty Organization, and earnestly carrying out preparatory work for the implementation of the Treaty in China. Being a nuclear-weapon state, China is fully aware of its responsibilities concerning the entry into force of the Treaty. Therefore, the Chinese government is still committed to the early ratification of the Treaty, despite such negative developments in the past two years as the nuclear tests in India and Pakistan and the US Senate's refusal to ratify the CTBT. Now, the Chinese government has already completed the necessary preparations and formally submitted the Treaty to the NPC for review and ratification.
"China has all along adopted a positive attitude to the negotiation of a convention that prohibits the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons purposes, known as the FMCT. The Chinese government maintains that progress on the issue of the FMCT negotiations is, and will continue to be, closely related to the global peace and security situation. In view of the fact that the United States is making vigorous efforts to develop anti-missile weapons and outer-space weapons with a view to deploying them, and that the US and Russia still possess nuclear arsenals large enough to destroy the world many times over, it is China's position that continued nuclear disarmament and the prevention of an arms race in outer space are multilateral arms-control topics that should be given higher priority than the FMCT negotiations. Therefore, the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva should not emphasize the importance of only the FMCT negotiations to the neglect of the issues of nuclear disarmament and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. It should give equal attention to all three issues and carry out substantive work in a balanced manner."The Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (hereafter referred to as the ABM Treaty) plays a very important role in maintaining the global strategic balance and stability, promoting nuclear disarmament and enhancing international security. However, in recent years the United States has accelerated its development of a national missile defense system in disregard of the relevant provisions of the ABM Treaty and the opposition of the international community. China expresses its strong opposition to such moves on the part of the United States, for they will undermine the global strategic balance, severely hamper the nuclear disarmament process and international non-proliferation efforts, jeopardize global peace and regional stability and may even touch off a new round of arms race. " [White Paper on China's National Defense, 16 0ctober 2000.] [Chinese Text]
07/18/00: President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Putin issued a joint statement opposing US plans to develop, in contravention of the ABM Treaty, a national missile defense system . These actions could trigger a new arms race, they warned. China and Russian would continue, and strengthen, their cooperation to safeguard their own, regional, and global security, they said. [Full Text (FBIS translation of Chinese text)]
07/11/00: Sha Zukang gave an extensive interview, throughout which he was extremely critical of the United States' policy of anti-ballistic missile defense development, asserting that it would destroy the global strategic balance and upset efforts to curb nuclear arms proliferation. [Full Text (FBIS translation of Chinese text)]
06/08/00: Sha Zukang, head of the Chinese delegation at the sixth NPT Review Conference, reviewing the progress of that gathering, stated:
"The country with the greatest nuclear arsenal in the world should shoulder special responsibility regarding the issue of nuclear disarmament. It should first of all reduce its nuclear arsenal by a great margin. It should follow an irreversible principle in carrying out nuclear disarmament. It should destroy nuclear weapons that have been reduced, rather than only switching from a deployment situation to a storage situation." [Full Text of article (FBIS translation of Chinese text)]
04/24/00: In a speech before the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Ambassador Sha Zukang stated:
"It is gratifying to see that the Duma of the Russian Federation has finally ratified the START II treaty recently after several years of twists and turns. We look forward to its early implementation of this treaty and the initiation of the START III negotiations. China is of the view that nuclear disarmament should be a comprehensive and irreversible process. If only reducing obsolete nuclear weapons while enhancing nuclear capability, or reducing the number of deployed nuclear weapons while putting the reduced nuclear warheads into the so-called 'inactive reserve' that keeps to be maintained or even renewed, ready for redeployment at anytime, such practice are by no means genuine nuclear disarmament...
"Relying on its overwhelmingly superior strength in economy, science and technology, a certain military power, notwithstanding its large nuclear arsenals with overkill capability, is vigorously pursuing the development of national missile defense (NMD) system in an attempt to seek absolute security for itself. Regardless whether an absolute security is achievable, such action is tantamount to nuclear arms build-up, which will not only bring severe damage to the integrity and vitality of the ABM treaty and the global strategic balance and stability, but also seriously disrupt the basis for the US-Russia bilateral nuclear reductions, impede the international nuclear disarmament process, thus shatter the prerequisite and basis for international nuclear non-proliferation.
"The Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) should be conducive to the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation and the promotion of nuclear disarmament. Based on this understanding, China supports the conclusion of a FMCT through negotiations. However, China is of the view that, at a time when a certain country is determined to develop a missile defense system using the outer space as its important base, the prevention of the weaponization of outer space is a task even more urgent than the FMCT negotiation." [Full speech text]
02/24/00: Speaking at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, Hu Xiaodi stated:
"What is more important is to support the UNGA resolution on the preservation of and compliance with the ABM treaty, stop seeking the amendment of that treaty, refrain from the testing and deployment inconsistent with that treaty, and never make the threat that the ABM treaty must be amended, otherwise a state party will withdraw from it."
"The second subject of my statement today is related to the issue of prevention of an arms race in outer space. As pointed out in our working paper on this issue, the prevention of an arms race in outer space is one of the most pressing and most prominent issues in the field of arms control and disarmament. This is by no means exaggeration but a sound judgement of the real situation in the use of outer space, especially the trends and prospects of the weaponization of outer space and arms race in outer space."
"The international community must act without any delay to keep the worst from happening. As the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, the Conference should, under its agenda item of PAROS and taking into account the latest movements concerning the development of relevant weapon systems, including the missile defense system, take concrete measures without any delay to prevent effectively the weaponization of outer space, prohibit the test, deployment and use of any weapon systems and their components in outer space, stop any country from using outer space as a battlefield and prohibit the use of outer space to strike ground targets and seek strategic superiority on the ground."
"It should be emphasized that countries with the greatest space capabilities should assume special responsibilities in preventing the weaponization of outer space, preventing an arms race in outer space and ensuring the use of outer space for peaceful purposes." [Full speech text]
02/10/00: Hu Xiaodi, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, spoke at the Plenary Session of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva:
"Therefore, the Chinese delegation believes that the international community, while making efforts to strengthen the existing international legal instruments, is also in great need of the negotiation and conclusion of new legal instruments to achieve the goal of non-weaponization of and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. The new international legal instruments to be concluded should contain the following basic elements: the prohibition of testing, deployment and use of any weapon system and their components in outer space and the limitation of the use of satellites for military purposes."
"Pending the conclusion of a new multilateral legal instrument on prevention of an arms race in outer space, all countries concerned should undertake not to test, deploy and use any weapons and weapon systems as well as their components in outer space."
"For the moment, the Chinese delegation believes that the new international legal instruments to be concluded on the prevention of the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space may contain such basic elements as purposes, basic obligations, definitions, national implementation measures, international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space, verification measures, appropriate mechanism for the resolution of disputes, transparency measures and other 'procedural articles' commonly contained in international legal instruments, such as articles on amendment, signature, ratification, entry into force, etc. Our working paper has outlined the main contents of these articles, so I will not go into the details." [Full speech text]
2000: In the substantive session of the UN Disarmament Commission, China submitted a working paper briefly outlining their consistent basic attitudes toward a variety of disarmament issues. ["Ways and Means to Achieve Nuclear Disarmament: Working Paper Submitted by China." Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UN. 2000.]
11/99: China jointly sponsored with Russia, Belarus, and Kyrghyzstan a resolution (UNGA 54/54A) adopted by the UN General Assembly entitled "Preservation of and Compliance with the Treaty on Anti-ballistic Missile Systems." This resolution included the statement that the General Assembly "considers that the implementation of any measure undermining the purposes and the provisions of the Treaty also undermines global strategic stability and world peace and the promotion of further strategic nuclear arms reductions." [United Nations General Assembly, General Distribution Document A/RES/54/54. 10 January 2000.]
10/13/99: In a speech to the First Committee of the 54th Session of the UN General Assembly, Shen Guofang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, reiterated China's long-standing position on nuclear disarmament:
"Here, I wish to reiterate our views on the next step for the nuclear disarmament, as pointed out by President Jiang Zemin in his statement, i.e. to continue to take the lead by countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world to drastically cut down their respective nuclear arsenals and refrain from improving the quality of nuclear weapons and developing such weapons; to negotiate and conclude a Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) to cap the quantity of nuclear weapons; to ensure the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) while comprehensively promoting the attainment of all the objectives of the NPT; to negotiate and conclude an international legal instrument on unconditional no-first-use of nuclear weapons, no use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, and on comprehensive prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons; and ultimately move to negotiate and conclude a Treaty on Comprehensive Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons so as to genuinely achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world." [Full Speech Text]
3/26/99: In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, Chinese President Jiang Zemin offered a recent view on China's perspectives on disarmament:
"The aim of disarmament is to increase security. And that must be universal security for all countries to enjoy. All countries, regardless of their size, strength and wealth, should have an equal right to security. If the great majority of developing countries cannot have security, there will never be tranquility in the entire world. Disarmament should not become a tool for stronger nations to control weaker ones, still less should it be an instrument for a handful of countries to optimize their armament in order to seek unilateral security superiority. To reduce the armament of others while keeping one's own intact, to reduce the obsolete while developing the state-of-the-art, or even to sacrifice the security of others for one's own security and to require other countries to scrupulously abide by treaties while giving oneself the freedom of action by placing domestic laws above international law, all these are acts of double standards. They are a mockery of international disarmament efforts and run counter to the fundamental purposes and objectives of disarmament."
"Historical experience shows that unrestrained arms build-up will surely hamper economic growth and will not help maintain peace and security. Disarmament should also serve to free up more resources and create better conditions for the economic development of all countries, developing countries in particular. One of the criteria to judge a disarmament treaty is to see whether it facilitates economic growth of various countries, especially that of developing countries, and whether it helps to strengthen international cooperation in science and technology. No disarmament measure will be able to garner universal support or have lasting viability if it is taken at the expense of the economic or scientific development of most countries."
"Disarmament is not the prerogative of the few. All countries have the right to participate therein on an equal footing. Multilateral disarmament treaties are the results of negotiation through universal participation and therefore reflect the common will of the international community. Some export control regimes by a small group of countries can in no way compare with these international treaties either in impartiality or in universality. To maintain bloc arrangements after conclusion of multilateral treaties and even place the former above the latter will only lead to the weakening of the authority and universality of multilateral treaties and subsequently affect the healthy development of the international cause of disarmament. Therefore, vigorous efforts should be made to strengthen the role of disarmament bodies of the United Nations so that multilateral treaties may gradually replace bloc arrangements." [Jiang Zemin address at the Conference on Disarmament, "Promote Disarmament Process and Safeguard World Security." 26 March 1999.]
10/14/97: In a speech to the UN First Committee, Chinese Disarmament Ambassador Sha Zukang stated:
"Firstly, the international arms control and disarmament should reinforce security of countries instead of weakening and undermining it..."
"Secondly, the international community should continue to advance the process of multilateral arms control and disarmament. The existing international arms control and disarmament treaties should be further universalized, and their faithful implementation and complete adherence by States Parties ensured..."
"Thirdly, it is necessary to prevent a small number of countries, by taking advantage of their advanced military technology and economic power, from seeking their "absolute" security and military superiority over others and concentrating the target of disarmament at the developing countries and depriving their legitimate right and means of self-defense..."
"Fourthly, the countries with the largest and most sophisticated conventional and nuclear arsenals should continue to bear a special responsibility for disarmament..."
"Finally, the existing discriminatory and exclusive export control mechanisms and arrangements should be overhauled and rectified." [Statement by H.E. Sha Zukang, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China for Disarmament Affairs, at the First Committee of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 14 October 1997.]
9/25/96: In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen stated:
"China has always stood for the comprehensive prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. We think that the CTBT is only the first step in the entire process of comprehensive nuclear disarmament. At present, there are still huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons in the world. Some nuclear powers still refuse to undertake not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. We still have a long way to go, and should continue to make great efforts to achieve the goal of thoroughly eliminating nuclear weapons.
To advance the process of nuclear disarmament and to eliminate the danger of nuclear war once and for all, I would like to renew the following appeals [made on 29 July 1996] on behalf of the Chinese Government:
(1) The major nuclear powers should renounce their policy of nuclear deterrence, and those possessing huge nuclear arsenals should continue to drastically cut back their stockpiles;
(2) All nuclear states should assume the obligation not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances; promise unconditionally to renounce the use or threat of use of such weapons against non-nuclear states or nuclear-free zones; and conclude international instruments to this effect without delay;
(3) Those states which have deployed nuclear weapons overseas should withdraw all of their weapons; all nuclear states should pledge support for the call to set up nuclear-free zones, respect the status of such zones, and assume corresponding obligations;
(4) All states should refrain from developing or deploying weapons systems in outer space and missile defense systems that undermine strategic security and stability; and
(5) All states should negotiate with a view to concluding an international convention on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.
Since mankind was able to produce nuclear weapons in the 20th century, it is entirely capable of eliminating them in the 21st century. The Chinese Government and people are ready to join hands with all governments and peoples in the world to strive for the realization of this lofty goal." [Speech by Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen to the UN General Assembly, 25 September 1996.]
7/29/96: In a statement after its 45th nuclear test, China appealed to the other nuclear-weapon states to, among other things, drastically reduce their stockpiles and conclude an international agreement on the prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.
China stated that "An international convention on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons should be concluded through negotiations with the participation of all states." [Statement by the Chinese government, 29 July 1996.]
7/9-7/11/96: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai, in response to the following question: "The International Court of Justice has declared that using nuclear weapons is illegal, but to use them for self-defense is legal. What's your comment on this?", said: "For more than 30 years China's stand on the nuclear issue has been clear and consistent. China has declared that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, nor will it use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapons nations. So far no other nuclear nations have made a similar commitment." ["News Briefing By The Chinese Foreign Ministry," Beijing Review, 29 July-4 August 1996, p. 10.]
3/28/96: Sha Zukang, Chinese ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament (CD), stated to the Conference:
"The Chinese delegation understands and sympathizes with the demand of a large number of non-nuclear-weapon States for nuclear disarmament within a time-bound framework. China has always stood for the early and complete elimination of nuclear weapons and has put forward a package of proposals for this purpose at the United Nations General Assembly. We have always regarded the CTBT as an important step towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, because a treaty like this, for the first time banning all nuclear-weapon test explosions in the world in the form of an international legal instrument, will certainly promote the process of nuclear disarmament and lay the groundwork for the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. In the meantime, we should note that the advent and development of nuclear weapons has been a lengthy historical process. So likewise the complete elimination of such weapons will also take some time." [Statement by Ambassador Sha Zukang to the Conference on Disarmament, 28 March 1996.]
11/11/95: In an academic paper, Liu Huaqiu, a Chinese arms control researcher, outlined three prerequisites for Chinese participation in nuclear arms control:
(1) "All nuclear countries must reach an agreement not to be the first to use nuclear weapons and not to use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against countries that do not have nuclear weapons or against nuclear free zones;"
(2) "The United States and Russia must reduce their nuclear weapon stockpiles to a level comparable to that of medium-size nuclear countries;" and
(3) "Halt the development of ballistic missiles defense (BMD) systems, including the current theater missile defense (TMD) system, because the latter has potential anti-strategic missile capabilities." [Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
11/95: In its white paper on arms control and disarmament, China stated:
"The ultimate goal of disarmament is the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (including chemical and biological weapons), the complete prohibition of outer space weapons, and reductions in conventional arms as befits actual circumstances." ["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
In reference to regional disarmament, the white paper stated:
"China attaches great importance to regional disarmament. In 1991, China submitted a working paper on regional disarmament to the Disarmament Commission of the United Nations containing a complete set of principles and positions. Bilateral, regional and multilateral disarmament should be mutually promoting. The creation of favourable external conditions and environment is absolutely necessary in the promotion of regional disarmament; countries outside the region, particularly those with the largest arsenals, should actively cooperate with and give energetic support to regional disarmament efforts. In considering regional disarmament issues, interregional differences in security environment and level of armament should be acknowledged and respected; in terms of measures to be taken or process to be followed there is no model applicable for all regions. China's position as above was adopted in the main in the Disarmament Commission's final document."
"China is located in the Asian-Pacific region, and understandably is specially concerned with the security, stability, peace and development in this region. In 1994, China presented three basic objectives for the region's security: Maintenance of stability and prosperity in China, safeguarding long-term peace and stability in its surrounding environment, and initiating dialogues and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and equality. In cognizance of the Asian-Pacific region's particular circumstances, China holds that with regard to security and cooperation in the region the following principles and measures to realize them should be followed and adopted: On the basis of the Charter of the United Nations and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual nonaggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence), establish a new mutual respect and friendly relationship between nations; with promoting common economic development as the objective, establish economic relations based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual cooperation; settle conflicts and disputes between nations within the region through consultations on the basis of the principle of equality and peaceful resolution, so as to step by step remove the factors of instability in the region; with the promotion of the region's peace and security as the purpose, adhere to the principle of arms only being used in defence and refrain from any form of arms race; and promote various forms of bilateral or multilateral dialogues and consultations on the security issue so as to enhance trust and understanding. China's position has won understanding and support from the Asian-Pacific countries." ["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
11/95: Liu Huaqiu, a Chinese arms control researcher, wrote in an article that "if the United States willfully and arbitrarily promotes its plan [for theater missile defenses], it is in China's security interests to review its position on a full test ban and the halting of production of fissionable materials for weapons." [Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit) (Beijing), 11 November 1995, FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
9/20/95-9/21/95: Representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium, and Switzerland met and reached several agreements. First, the countries agreed to announce how much "civil" plutonium is held at their nuclear reactors, reprocessing plants, fuel fabrication plants, and other facilities. Also, each country is obliged to reveal data on the amount of its separated plutonium as well as the quantity of plutonium held in civilian reactors, spent fuel to be reprocessed, and spent fuel held at interim storage facilities. According to the "gentlemen's agreement," each country will annually disclose the amount of civil plutonium it possesses in 100 kg units for unirradiated plutonium and ton units for plutonium held in spent fuel. [Shinichiro Izumi, "International Management Of Plutonium," Plutonium, Winter 1996, pp. 3-6.]
8/17/95: In a statement to the Conference on Disarmament, China stated that it "suggested long ago that, as in the case of the comprehensive prohibition of chemical weapons and biological weapons, we should try to conclude a treaty on the comprehensive prohibition of nuclear weapons and their total destruction. It is our hope that the above-mentioned suggestion of China will secure an early positive response from the parties concerned." [Chinese statement to the Conference on Disarmament, 17 August 1995.]
7/31/95: China published the "Chinese Government Declaration Advocating the Complete, Thorough, Clean, and Decisive Prohibition and Destruction of Nuclear Weapons, and Proposal for the Convening of a Conference of Heads of State of All Governments in the World." The declaration proposed that all countries should not use, export, import, manufacture, test, or store nuclear weapons. It also proposed that all countries should destroy all nuclear weapons and delivery systems, disband all nuclear weapon research, testing, and production organizations. Finally, it proposed a summit conference of all heads of state to discuss the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. [Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
5/28/95: China froze nuclear nonproliferation negotiations with the United States in response to the United States granting Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui permission to travel in the United States. The ongoing U.S.-China talks include the implementation of a bilateral agreement for cooperation in achieving an international fissile material cut-off convention. In addition, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced it was postponing June and July 1995 scheduled visits to China by U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) Director John Holum and a U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for politico-military affairs. [Tony Walker, Financial Fitness, 29 May 1995, pp. 1, 14.]
4/18/95: In a statement to the NPT Review and Extension Conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen stated that "complete prohibition of nuclear weapons should be the primary objective. A convention on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons should be concluded in the same way as the conventions banning all biological and chemical weapons. It should provide for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons under effective international supervision." Qian also said that a "convention banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapon purposes should also be concluded through negotiations." ["Statement By H.E. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier And Foreign Minister And Head Of Delegation Of The People's Republic Of China At The 1995 Review And Extension Conference Of The Parties To The Treaty On The Non-Proliferation Of Nuclear Weapons," 18 April 1995.]
4/6/95: In a statement to the Conference on Disarmament (CD), China stated that it is important "to conclude a convention on the comprehensive prohibition of nuclear weapons, like the BWC and CWC, so as to bring about a genuine nuclear-weapon-free world and provide the fundamental assurance for mankind to rid itself of the threat of nuclear war." China also called for the Conference to "begin at an early date the negotiations on a convention banning the production of fissile material for nuclear-weapon purposes." [Chinese plenary statement to the Conference on Disarmament, 6 April 1995.]
2/17/95: A Chinese government arms control expert disagreed with US allegations that the PRC is reluctant to sign a joint statement in favor of a fissile material production ban, and said that China and the United States agreed to such a ban in October 1994. [Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuter, in Washington Times, 18 February 1995, p. A18.]
2/16/95: US officials said that China and France are reluctant to sign a statement promising to stop production of weapons-grade plutonium and uranium. US President Bill Clinton had hoped to receive a statement from the other nuclear weapon states (i.e. China, France, Russia, and Britain) agreeing to a fissile materials production ban before the 25th anniversary of the Non- Proliferation Treaty on 5 March 1995. China and France are believed to be interested in increasing their relatively small nuclear weapons stockpiles. China is believed to have stopped producing fissile material, and the Clinton Administration is reportedly not worried that China might be interested in resuming production. [Lorien Holland, UPI, 17 February 1995; Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuter, in Washington Times, 18 February 1995, p. A18; Carol Giacomo, Reuter, 16 February 1995; Sid Balman Jr., UPI, 16 February 1995.]
2/2/95: In a statement to the Conference on Disarmament, China said that "negotiations should be undertaken to conclude a convention banning the production of fissile material for nuclear-weapon production purposes". [Chinese plenary statement to the Conference on Disarmament, 2 February 1995.]
2/95: It was reported that Japan stated it had reached an accord with Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland to "publish plutonium inventories on a regular basis." The IAEA will be involved in the accord as an observer. The accord constitutes significant progress towards institutionalizing a plutonium control system at the international level. Other countries that maintain nuclear power plants will be free to participate in the "reporting scheme." ["Agreement Reached On Civil Pu Inventory Reporting," Nuclear News, February 1995, p. 60.]
10/21/94: During the general debate on disarmament and international security of the UN First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Hou Zhitong said that China favored the conclusion, through negotiation, of a convention banning the production of weapons-grade fissile materials, and that it is ready to work with other countries to pursue such an objective. ["China Calls for a Nukes-Free World," Beijing Review, 7-13 November 1994, p. 4.]
10/4/94: Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and US Secretary of State Warren Christopher signed the "Joint United States-People's Republic of China Statement On Stopping Production Of Fissile Materials For Nuclear Weapons," in which both countries agreed to "work together to promote the earliest possible achievement of a multilateral, non-discriminatory, internationally and effectively verifiable convention banning the production on fissile materials for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices."
Chinese opposition to a Cut-Off was reportedly eliminated in part by US promises of advanced military technology transfers. China agreed to participate in the Cut-Off negotiations to take place at the Conference on Disarmament. [Joint United States-People's Republic of China Statement On Stopping Production Of Fissile Materials For Nuclear Weapons, 4 Octboer 1994; Jon B. Wolfsthal, "US, China Reach New Accords On MTCR, Fissile Cutoff Issues," Arms Control Today, November 1994, p. 28; Banning N. Garrett and Bonnie S. Glaser, "Chinese Perspectives On Nuclear Arms Control," International Security, Winter 1995/96, p. 47; Robert Shuey and Shirley A. Kan, "Chinese Missile And Nuclear Proliferation: Issues For Congress," CRS Issue Brief, 16 November 1995, p. 12; Wenguang Shao, "WMD Proliferation In Asia: A Chinese Perspective"; in Lewis and Johnson, eds., Weapons of Mass Destruction: New Perspectives on Counterproliferation, April 1995, p. 138; J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 28.]
Fall 1994: At the 49th Session of the UN General Assembly, China issued a nuclear disarmament proposal, including unconditional no-first-use declarations and negotiations toward such a convention; negative security assurances toward non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear weapon-free zones (NWFZs); a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) no later than 1996; implementation of current nuclear disarmament treaties; further reductions; a fissile material cut-off treaty; and a convention prohibiting nuclear weapons. ["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
7/94: In a paper to the US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Sha Zukang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of China's Foreign Ministry, stated that "Strictly speaking, whether such a reduction of nuclear weapons can be called genuine nuclear disarmament is doubtful." [Sha Zukang, "Article VI Of The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: A Chinese Perspective," in Director's Series on Proliferation, No. 5, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 12 August 1994, p. 40.]
6/10/94: The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for the "other nuclear-weapon States to give up their policy of nuclear deterrence and commit themselves explicitly to the complete prohibition and total destruction of nuclear weapons." ["Statement Of The Spokesman Of The Foreign Ministry Of The People's Republic Of China," 10 June 1994.]
3/94: At the Conference on Disarmament, China stated its opposition to the creation of an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations on a Cut-Off. [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 28.]
1994: Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen proposed the conclusion of a convention on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons, similar to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), at the UN General Assembly. [Wenguang Shao, "WMD Proliferation In Asia: A Chinese Perspective"; in Lewis and Johnson, eds., Weapons of Mass Destruction: New Perspectives on Counterproliferation, April 1995, p. 135.]
9/93: China remained silent after the UN General Assembly strongly endorsed a fissile material cut-off agreement. [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 28.]
3/4/93: In a statement to the Conference on Disarmament, China stated that it
"welcomes these steps [START 1 & 2] in the right direction and hopes that these treaties can be put into full implementation at an early date in order to reduce the danger of nuclear war. At the same time, the international community has pointed out that the reduction plans involved are preliminary, since even if their implementation is completed according to schedule by the beginning of the next century, these two countries will still possess over 90 per cent of the total nuclear arsenals of the world, sufficient to destroy the globe several times over, not to mention the fact that the modernization of nuclear weapons and the arms race in space remain unchecked...States with the largest nuclear arsenals are bound to bear special responsibility in taking the lead to stop the testing, improvement, production and deployment of nuclear weapons, drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals and check the arms race in outer space, thus making their due contribution to comprehensive nuclear disarmament." [Chinese plenary statement to the Conference on Disarmament, 4 March 1993.]
1/93: China officially praised the signing of START 2. [Roxane D. V. Sismanidis, "China And The Post-Soviet Security Structure," Asian Affairs, Spring 1994, p. 44.]
6/17/92: China announced it was pleased with the new pledge issued by the United States and Russia to cut their strategic nuclear arsenals. Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Jianmin said, "We hope they will implement this treaty in earnest." China gave no indication that it would follow suit with cuts of its own force. ["China Welcomes Russo-US Pledge On Missiles," Reuter (Beijing), 18 June 1992.]
5/92: China officially praised the signing of the Lisbon Protocol to START 1. [Roxane D. V. Sismanidis, "China And The Post-Soviet Security Structure," Asian Affairs, Spring 1994, p. 44.]
4/24/92: In a working paper to the United Nations, China stated that "even after cutting their nuclear arsenals in accordance with their agreements and announcements, [the United States and the USSR] will still possess the largest number of nuclear weapons in the world." Both countries should therefore:
(1) "take the lead in halting the testing, production and deployment of nuclear weapons";
(2) "drastically cut all types of nuclear weapons deployed at home and abroad"; and
(3) "major space powers should halt the arms race in outer space and the development of space weapons, especially nuclear-related space weapons." [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 7.]
1/30/92: Russian President Boris Yeltsin called for China, France and the United Kingdom to mirror US and Russian moves to reduce nuclear arms. While UK Prime Minister John Major agreed to cooperate on safeguarding weapons, after four hours of negotiations with Yeltsin, he refused to agree to reduce forces. French President Mitterrand said that France would consider force reductions when Russia and the United States have reduced their forces to a level comparable with French systems. China indicated that its nuclear weapons were only for defensive purposes, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that "China will naturally take part in the process of nuclear disarmament and join efforts for the complete destruction of nuclear weapons once the United States and Russia reduce their nuclear capacity to a level matching that of China" ["Yeltsin Can't Persuade Britain To Cut Nukes," Washington Times, 31 January 1992, pp. A1, A9; Banning N. Garrett and Bonnie S. Glaser, "Chinese Perspectives On Nuclear Arms Control," International Security, Winter 1995/96, p. 47; Roxane D. V. Sismanidis, "China And The Post-Soviet Security Structure," Asian Affairs, Spring 1994, p. 44.]
7/91: China officially praised the signing of START 1. [Roxane D. V. Sismanidis, "China And The Post-Soviet Security Structure," Asian Affairs, Spring 1994, p. 44.]
2/28/91: China acceded to the Seabed Arms Control Treaty. [Roland M. Timerbaev and Meggen M. Watt, Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, 1995 edition, p. 53; Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 67.]
9/15/89: In an article in Renmin Ribao, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen stated:
"Our country has resolutely opposed every kind of armaments race and advocated overall prohibition and complete destruction of nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, biological weapons, and outer space weapons, as well as large-scale reductions of regular weapons and military personnel. Our country thinks that both the United States and Soviet Union, possessing the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and regular weapons in the world, have special responsibility in disarmament; they should play an exemplary role in stopping testing, producing, and deploying every kind of nuclear weapons, greatly reduce their storage on nuclear weapons, and cut their regular weapons on a large scale...."
"China does not advocate, or encourage, or engage in nuclear proliferation and would only cooperate with other countries in the peaceful application of nuclear energy." [Renmin Ribao, 15 September 1989; in FBIS Special Memorandum, 18 December 1991.]
1989: China proposed a working paper to the United Nations, outlining three principles on nuclear disarmament:
(1) "the United States and the Soviet Union must take the lead in halting the testing, production and deployment of all types of nuclear weapons, and drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals";
(2) "vigorous measures must be taken to avert an arms race in outer space, check new tendencies in the arms race such as qualitative improvements in weapons, and the extension of weapons technology to new fields"; and
(3) "no bilateral agreements on disarmament should jeopardize the interests of other states." [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 6.]
1988: China proposed the "Three Halts and One Reduction" formula for disarmament. In this position, China proposed that the United States and the USSR should:
(1) agree not to test, produce, or deploy such weapons ("three halts"); and
(2) reduce their nuclear weapons well below levels currently being discussed ("one reduction"). [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 6.]
1988: China ratified protocols 2 and 3 of the Treaty of Rarotonga (the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone). [Yan Xuetong, Xiandai Guoji Guanzi (Beijing), 20 August 1995, pp. 23-38; Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 62.]
3/23/87: At the UN Regional Conference on the World Disarmament Campaign in Beijing, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Qian Qichen stated:
"China has consistently opposed the arms race and will never take part in it. We stand for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all nuclear, chemical, biological, and space weapons and for a drastic reduction of conventional weapons. As early as 1964, China declared explicitly on the very first day when it came into possession of nuclear weapons that at no time and under no circumstances will it be the first to use nuclear weapons. China has also undertaken not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states or nuclear-free zones."
"China does not advocate or encourage nuclear proliferation, nor does it help other countries develop nuclear weapons. China supports whatever actions and initiatives that are conducive to the realization of disarmament and elimination of the threat of nuclear war." [Beijing Review, 30 March 1987, in FBIS Special Memorandum, 18 December 1991.]
1986: At the UN General Assembly, China for the first time presented two proposals on nuclear and conventional disarmament, stating that the United States and Soviet Union had a special responsibility for both nuclear and conventional disarmament. ["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
3/21/86: Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang proposed that "as the countries having the largest nuclear weapons stockpiles, the United States and the USSR should take the lead in halting the testing, production, and deployment of all types of nuclear weapons, and they should make tremendous reductions and destroy locally all types of nuclear weapons anywhere in their own countries or abroad. This would create positive conditions for the possible convening of a broadly representative international arms reduction conference of all nuclear countries for the purpose of further discussion and agreement on steps for nuclear arms reduction and total destruction of nuclear weapons." This statement reflected a return to China's 1979 position, calling for substantial reductions as opposed to reductions of 50 percent. This reportedly remains China's requirement to enter into multilateral nuclear arms control discussions. [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 5; Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
8/5/85: In a telegram reply to the chairman of the Japanese Council of Organizations of Victims of Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang stated:
"Our only purpose in developing a small number of nuclear arms is to resist nuclear blackmail. China has repeatedly declared to the world that it will never use nuclear weapons first, never sell or give nuclear weapons to other countries and never deploy nuclear weapons abroad…At present, the threat of nuclear war and obstacles to nuclear disarmament come from the two nuclear giants who possess more than 95 percent of the world's nuclear weapons."
Zhao called upon the two superpowers to respect the world's desire to abolish nuclear weapons and the threat of nuclear war, to stop their nuclear arms race, to conduct sincere negotiations, to take the lead in halting testing, improving and manufacturing nuclear weapons, and to reach agreement on substantially reducing their nuclear arsenals. Once the two countries fulfilled these conditions, China would support the convening of an international conference of all nuclear-weapon states to discuss nuclear reductions and the complete prohibition and destruction of nuclear weapons. Zhao said that "China is ready to shoulder its due responsibility" in this area. [Lai Yali, "The United Nations and the Third World," Beijing Review, 21 October 1985, p. 17.]
5/11/84: China changed the words "50 percent reduction" from its United Nations working paper A/CN.10/62 to read "tremendous (substantial) reduction." China had previously stated that a 50 percent reduction of the U.S. and then-Soviet arsenals was a condition for its participation in nuclear disarmament. China reportedly sees a reduction to around 1,000 warheads as the threshold needed for its participation in any multilateral nuclear disarmament process. Liu Huaqiu stated that in view of the 1983 U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposal, this revision was justified in order to ensure China's limited deterrent capability. [Banning N. Garrett and Bonnie S. Glaser, "Chinese Perspectives On Nuclear Arms Control," International Security, Winter 1995/96, p. 47; Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
1/10/84: Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang stated during a White House state dinner:
"We are critical of the discriminatory treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, but we do not advocate or encourage nuclear proliferation. We do not engage in nuclear proliferation ourselves, nor do we help other countries develop nuclear weapons. We actively support all proposals that are truly helpful to realizing nuclear disarmament, terminating the nuclear arms race, and eliminating the threat of nuclear war." [Xinhua, 11 January 1984, in FBIS Special Memorandum, 18 December 1991.]
12/30/83: China acceded to the Outer Space Treaty (OST). [Roland M. Timerbaev and Meggen M. Watt, Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, 1995 edition, p. 53; Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 67.]
1983: China joined the Antarctic Treaty.[Roland M. Timerbaev and Meggen M. Watt, Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, 1995 edition, p. 53; Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 67.]
9/83: China added the demand of an international conference on disarmament to its earlier demand of a "50 percent" reduction in US and Soviet nuclear arms proposal, before China would be willing to participate in multilateral arms reduction talks. [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, 8/95, p. 5.]
6/21/82: At the second UN Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD), Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua presented the statement on "Recommendations for the Immediate Halt to the Arms Race and Principal Actions for Disarmament." In this statement, China presented its six basic principles on nuclear disarmament:
(1) Disarmament and international security are inseparable;
(2) The two superpowers should take the lead in reducing their arsenals and destroying all nuclear weapons, and should commit themselves to the no-first-use of nuclear weapons;
(3) Nuclear and conventional disarmament should go hand-in-hand;
(4) Small and medium-sized countries have the right to maintain the defense capability necessary for defending against aggression and protecting their independence;
(5) Any disarmament agreement should provide strict and effective measures for international verification;
(6) All nations, big or small, nuclear or non-nuclear, are entitled to take part in deliberations or talks on disarmament issues and to supervise the implementation of related agreements.
Huang also stated that the United States and Soviet Union should halt nuclear weapon testing, improvement, and production, and take the lead in drastically reducing their nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Huang stated that "the Soviet Union and the United States should...reduce by 50 percent all types of their nuclear weapons and means of delivery. Thereafter, China would join all other nuclear states [in the reduction] of their respective nuclear arsenals according to agreed levels and procedures." [Lai Yali, "The United Nations and the Third World," Beijing Review, 21 October 1995, p. 17; Robert Karniol, "China Conducts Nuclear Test Amid Controversy," Jane's Defence Weekly, 26 August 1995, p. 14; J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, 8/95, p. 5; Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995; "China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
8/4/81: Yu Peiwen, head of China's delegation to the Conference on Disarmament, stated:
"China is opposed to major power nuclear monopoly. Like many other peace-loving countries, China does not advocate or encourage nuclear proliferation, and we are emphatically opposed to any production of nuclear weapons by racists and expansionists such as South Africa and Israel."
"The nuclear-weapons states should recognize the fact that the nonnuclear-weapon states find themselves menaced by the danger of nuclear war and nuclear threat and that it is the strong demand of the peoples of the world that the superpowers halt the arms race and carry our nuclear disarmament. The nuclear weapons states should unconditionally guarantee not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the nonnuclear-weapon states without further delay, and at the same time, they should take effective measures to carry out nuclear disarmament until the ultimate goal of complete prohibition and total destruction of nuclear weapons is achieved. China has unilaterally undertaken the unconditional commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear-weapon states and suggests that, when an international convention on security assurances is elaborated, the inclusion of such commitments should be taken into consideration." [Xinhua, 4 August 1981, in FBIS Special Memorandum, 18 December 1991.]
5/10/81: China presented two statements, one entitled "Halting the Nuclear Arms Race and Nuclear Disarmament," and the other, "A Comprehensive Arms Reduction Plan." Yu Peiwen, head of the delegation, stated that "countries having the largest nuclear weapons arsenals must take action first to halt the nuclear arms race, halting the testing, development, and production of all types of nuclear weapons, and greatly reducing nuclear weapons...other nuclear countries also have a certain responsibility. At a certain stage in nuclear arms reduction, they must also take action." [Liu Huaqiu, Xiandai Junshi (Conmilit), 11 November 1995, in FBIS-CHI-95-246, 11 November 1995.]
5/79: At the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC), China proposed a "Comprehensive Programme for Disarmament," stating, "when substantial progress has been made in the destruction of the [US-Soviet] nuclear weapons...other nuclear states shall join them in negotiation for the total destruction of nuclear weapons." [J. Mohan Malik, "China's Policy Towards Nuclear Arms Control In The Post-Cold War Era," Contemporary Security Policy, August 1995, p. 5.]
2/14/79: Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping stated to Indian journalists:
"We stand for destroying all nuclear weapons completely. However, the nuclear powers have no right to prevent non-nuclear countries from possessing nuclear weapons unless these powers commit themselves to destroy their nuclear weapons completely or guarantee not to be the first to use them." [Xinhua, 14 February 1979, in FBIS Special Memorandum, 18 December 1991.]
1978: At the first UN Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD), China proposed that the United States and Soviet Union take the lead in disarmament. ["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]
1978: In a document submitted to the UN, the Chinese government stated:
"The so-called NPT is a conspiracy concocted by the USSR and the US to maintain their nuclear monopoly. By it, they not only try to restrict other countries in their efforts to develop nuclear force for self-defense, but limit their peaceful uses of nuclear energy. While the two superpowers are further intensifying the vertical proliferation of nuclear weapons, they seek to limit the horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons. They praise the NPT as a major measure in overcoming the threat of nuclear war. This does not convince others. There is no reason to impose the NPT on other countries arbitrarily." [Quoted in Mingquan Zhu, "The Evolution of China's Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy," Nonproliferation Review, Winter 1997, p. 43.]
1974: China ratified the protocol 2 of the Treaty of Tlatelolco (the Latin American Nuclear Weapons Free Zone). [Yan Xuetong, Xiandai Guoji Guanzi (Beijing), 20 August 1995, Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 62.]
10/16/64: In the statement after its first nuclear weapon explosion, the Chinese government stated that:
"The Chinese Government hereby solemnly proposes to the governments of the world that a summit conference of all the countries of the world be convened to discuss the questions of the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, and that as the first step, the summit conference conclude an agreement to the effect that the nuclear powers and those countries which may soon become nuclear powers undertake not to use nuclear weapons either against non-nuclear countries and nuclear-free zones or against each other." ["Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China," 16 October 1964, in Lewis and Xue, China Builds the Bomb, p. 241-243.]
7/31/63: China proposed a world summit conference to discuss nuclear disarmament. China proposed four steps toward complete disarmament:
(1) Dismantling all foreign bases and withdrawing all nuclear weapons from abroad;
(2) Establishing nuclear-free zones in Asia and the Pacific, Central Europe, Africa, and Latin America;
(3) The non-export and non-import of nuclear weapons and the technical information for their production; and
(4) A halt to all nuclear testing, including underground. [Walter C. Clemens, Jr., "China," in Richard Dean Burns, ed., Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament, Vol. 1, p. 66.]
[CHINA AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT/ARMS CONTROL]
Updated 04/16/03
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