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31 March 2003
Mr. Chairman,
The Chinese Delegation would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the
chairmanship of the current session and stand ready to fully cooperate with you
and other delegations. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mme.
Diane Quarless of Jamaica for her contribution as chairperson of the last
session.
Mr. Chairman,
With the rapid development of globalization, countries are becoming more and
more interdependent both economically and in terms of security. While the
international security situation has been stable on the whole, uncertainty and
unpredictability are sharply increasing. Military confrontation caused by
disputes over territory, resources, religion and interest continues. And
non-traditional security threats characterized by terrorism and proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction have become more salient. Against such a backdrop,
the multilateral disarmament and arms control process is facing a severe test.
To promote a sound development for disarmament and arms control, we need to
create a favorable international security environment. To this end, we advocate
a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and
cooperation with the aim of establishing common security for all countries. We
stand for resolution of conflict through dialogue and cooperation. We strive for
maintenance of the multilateralism and promotion of the democratization of
international relations.
Mr. Chairman,
The two issues on this year’s agenda, namely, “ways and means to achieve nuclear
disarmament” and “practical confidence-building measures in the field of
conventional arms”, are both important and complex, which have been under
discussion during the last two sessions and witnessed many relevant
propositions.
Since the invention of nuclear weapons, mankind has been exploring ways for
their elimination. It is regrettable that we have not been able to find
effective and workable solutions. Some recent developments have been
particularly worrisome. First, although the quantity of nuclear weapons has been
in decline, their role in certain country’s national strategy has not been
drastically reduced. Second, the development of missile defense systems and
outer-space weapons have negative effects on global strategic stability. Third,
the deterioration of international security environment increases the risks of
nuclear proliferation. In view of the above and to promote nuclear disarmament,
China maintains the following:
—Countries should pursue a new security concept based upon mutual trust, mutual
benefit, equality and cooperation, and should work for a just and equitable new
international political and economic order, so as to ensure common security for
all and create a favorable international environment for nuclear disarmament.
—Countries should refrain from introducing weapons into outer space. To this
end, it is necessary to conclude respective international instruments through
negotiation, with a view to maintaining global strategic balance and stability
and promoting nuclear disarmament.
—Nuclear disarmament measures, including interim ones, should be based on the
principles of global strategic stability and undiminished security for all, thus
being conducive to enhancing international peace and security.
—The nuclear-weapon States possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear special
responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should take the lead in reducing
their respective nuclear arsenals drastically and in a legally binding form. The
nuclear weapons reduced should be destroyed. This will create conditions for
other nuclear-weapon States to join in the nuclear disarmament process.
—The reduction of nuclear weapons should be effectively verifiable, irreversible
and in a legally binding manner.
—All nuclear-weapon States should undertake not to be the first to use nuclear
weapons and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against
non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones at any time or under any
circumstances. International legal instruments to this effect should be
concluded.
—Nuclear-weapon States should withdraw all the nuclear weapons they have
deployed abroad back into their own territories.
—Countries that have not done so should sign and ratify the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as soon as possible so that the Treaty may enter into
force at an early date according to its provisions. Nuclear-weapon States should
continue the moratorium on nuclear testing.
—The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva should reach a work program at an early
date to start the substantive work on such important issues as nuclear
disarmament, banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and
preventing an arms race in outer space.
The above-mentioned measures will 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.
Mr. Chairman,
The establishment of concrete and practical confidence-building measures (CBMs)
in the field of conventional arms will not only be conducive to a sound
development of the disarmament cause but also useful in relaxing regional
tension and defusing hotspot issues. On the other hand, neither disarmament
measure nor the establishment of CBMs in the field of conventional arms could
progress without a favorable international security environment. Therefore, we
call for a just, reasonable, tolerant and cooperative world.
The world is diverse, so are the means of realizing security. In establishing
CBMs in the field of conventional arms, we should take into account different
situations and adhere to such principles as seeking common ground while shelving
differences, making gradual progress, maintaining voluntarism and realizing
undiminished security for all.
In recent years, China has been exploring ways to establish CBMs. Since 1996,
China has been initiating a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual
benefit, equality and cooperation, with the aim of enhancing trust through
dialogue and promoting security through cooperation. The new security concept
has been proven feasible through our practice.
In 1996 and 1997, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China signed
the Agreement on Confidence Building in the Military Field in Border Areas and
the Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Areas.
On 15 July 2001, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and
China signed the Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and
declared the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The six
countries decided to cooperate extensively in the security, political,
anti-terrorist, economic, cultural and technological field, enhance mutual trust
and good-neighborliness and maintain regional peace and stability. The “Shanghai
Spirit”, with “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for
diversified culture and seeking common development” as its basic contents, has
become a principle governing the relationships among the organization’s member
states.
On 4 Nov 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea, committing themselves to exploring possible
means to build confidence on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
Mr. Chairman,
Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 57/63, the
first in the disarmament and non-proliferation field that stresses multilateral
approach. In the present situation, it is all the more necessary to enhance the
role of the UNDC as the sole disarmament multilateral deliberating mechanism.
For many years, the UNDC has been the source of valuable proposals in promoting
negotiations on arms control and disarmament treaties. Norms formulated at this
venue have become relevant guidelines. Therefore, it is of great significance to
maintain and further develop the guiding role of the UNDC, while any attempt to
weaken or abandon this organ will only be detrimental to the disarmament
process.
The chairmen of the two working groups have put on table their documents. Taking
them as a basis, we would join efforts with all other delegations to seek
agreement on a final document, which, we hope, will appropriately reflect
China’s positions and propositions. The Chinese delegation is ready to cooperate
with all other parties for and contribute to the success of this session.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or
its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by
MIIS.
