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STATEMENT BY MR. JIANG XINXIONG
HEAD OF THE CHINESE DELEGATION
AT THE 39TH SESSION OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE
THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY GENERAL CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 1995
Mr. President,
First of all, I would like to extend to you my warm congratulations on your
election to the presidency of the Conference. I am convinced that, with your
outstanding talent, you will fulfill your mandate with distinction. I would also
like to take this opportunity to extend our congratulations to the Republic of
Georgia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on their joining in the IAEA.
Mr. President,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. As one of the
important specialized agencies of the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) plays an important role in promoting international cooperation in the
field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and preventing the proliferation of
nuclear weapons. Through the unremitting efforts of the States Parties, the
Review and Extension Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) adopted, without a vote, the Decision
on Indefinite Extension of the Treaty, as well as the Decision on the Principles
and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament and the Decision on
Strengthening the Review Process for the Treaty. These positive and historical
decisions will undoubtedly have important and far-reaching influences on the
future international security. During the Review and Extension Conference of the
NPT, the delegations affirmed the positive contributions of the Agency in
keeping the effectiveness of the NPT and expressed their high expectations for
the future role of the Agency.
Mr. President,
The objectives of the Agency were clearly set out in the Statute of the
Agency at the very outset of the IAEA, namely, the promotion of peaceful uses of
nuclear energy and the prevention of nuclear proliferation, which should be the
guidelines for the Agency's work. In the past 39 years, in accordance with the
Statute of IAEA, the Agency has done a great deal of useful work in applying
safeguards, in promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and international
cooperation in this respect, in developing technical assistance and cooperation.
With the changing international situation and the development of peaceful uses
of nuclear energy in the Member States, the Agency will be facing with new
tasks. How to adapt the Agency's activities to the changing situation needs
careful studies. The Chinese delegation holds that the IAEA, as an important
specialized agency of the UN, should continue firmly to follow the objectives
set out in the Agency's Statute and play a greater rote in preventing nuclear
proliferation, maintaining world peace and security, strengthening international
cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and promoting the development of
nuclear industry and the application of nuclear technology in countries all over
the world, especially in the developing countries,
Mr. President,
As the issue of the prevention of nuclear proliferation has a bearing on the
international peace and security, it has become an important issue of common
concern to all of the Member States as how the IAEA adapts itself to the
development of the international situation and fully fulfill its obligations
under the Statute and other international agreements and deals with issues of
safeguards in a more impartial and effective manner. China attaches great
importance to the safeguards of the Agency and supports the Agency to take
appropriate measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its
safeguards system. We appreciate the efforts of the Agency in
implementing the "93+2" program and also take note of the whole set of measures
put forward by the Secretariat aimed at strengthening the effectiveness and
efficiency of the safeguards system. We believe that on the basis of thorough
discussion and consensus and with the issue of legal mandate being properly
solved, a step by step implementation of those measures will be helpful to the
improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system. The
Chinese Delegation has stated its position at various sessions of the Agency's
General Conferences and the meetings of the Board of Governors - China holds
that the improved safeguards system should reflect the principles of equability,
objectiveness, rationality, transparency and feasibility. The new safeguards
system must be implemented strictly within the framework of the Statute and the
relevant international agreements and on the basis of respecting the sovereignty
and ensuing the legitimate rights of the countries concerned. We would like to
suggest that the Secretariat pay more attention to the legal issues and take
those cost effective measures which are within the existing legal framework. As
for those measures which are beyond the existing legal framework, consensus must
be reached through necessary extensive consultations with the Member States. We
have repeatedly emphasized that the strengthening of the safeguards system
should neither impede the development of nuclear science and technology and
nuclear industry of countries nor the international cooperation in the field of
peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We hold that the strengthening of safeguards
system should avoid discrimination and abuses of safeguards information and
verification. We are concerned about the financial implications of the new
safeguards measures and hope that the appliance of the new measures will not
increase the Member States' burden or affect the resource allocation to other
activities of the Agency. Though according to the Statute of the Agency and
other relevant international instruments, the safeguards implementation is one
of the major mandates, it should not replace other major mandates of the Agency.
Mr. President,
Promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and international cooperation in this regard is one of the main objectives set out in the Statute of the Agency, which plays a very important role in promoting economic prosperity and social development of Member States, especially that of developing countries. According to the "Agenda For 21st Century" adopted at the United Nations' Environmental and Development Conference, the Agency, while continuing its existing technical cooperation activities, is gradually shifting the focus of technical cooperation to technology transfers that are helpful to the increase of food supply, promotion of health and sustainable development and protection of the environment, to which China gives its full support. We highly commend the achievements made by the Agency in recent years in the technical cooperation and assistance in the fields of fighting against pests, nuclear medicine and environmental protection. Food supply and health are usually the main problems for the least developed counties. It is our sincere hope that the assistance of the Agency in these fields could help these least developed counties to emerge from poverty. Meanwhile, we call upon the international community, especially the developed countries to help the least developed countries in a more practical way.
The Chinese delegation is pleased to note that, in recent years, the Agency
has undertaken some tentative reform measures in the field of technical
cooperation and assistance- As the "Model Projects", which is proposed and being
implemented by the Secretariat, fully take into account the priorities and needs
of the economy development of the recipient counties, they have received strong
support from the recipient governments, and promise good economic and social
benefits China attaches great importance to the "Model Projects" of the Agency
and has provided financial support for the program to the extent possible. At
the 38th Session last year, I announced on behalf of the Chinese government of
its decision to make an extra donation of 1 million U.S. dollars to support the
technical assistance activities of the Agency, more specifically to two model
projects in Africa, namely, the project of eradication of tsetse fly in Tanzania
and the national project of radioactive treatment and nuclear medicine in Ghana.
We are pleased to learn that, these two projects have made good progress in the
past year with the joint efforts of the recipient counties, the Agency's
Secretariat and the donating country.
Mr. President,
In recent years, upon the request of many developing countries, the General
Conferences and the Board of Governors of IAEA have adopted a series of
resolutions on enhancing the technical assistance and cooperation activities. It
is encouraging that, the Agency's Secretariat, the Department of Technical
Cooperation in particular, has done a great deal in promoting the peaceful uses
of nuclear energy and nuclear technology in the developing countries. On the
other hand, as the demand of the developing countries for the technical
assistance from the Agency expands, and the number of new recipient Member
States increases, we have to think about the issues of how to adapt the
technical assistance activities to the new situation and further improve it. The
Chinese delegation maintains that, taking into account the new situation, the
Secretariat should make practical efforts in the study of the strategic policy
and principles governing the technical cooperation activities, and carry out
extensive consultations' with the Member States, in order to provide strategic
guidance for technical cooperation activities. Based on this consideration,
China, together with other developing countries, made the proposal of
establishing a Standing Advisory Group on Technical Assistance and Cooperation
with a view to setting up a new forum in the Agency, devoted to strategic issue
such as the Agency's technical cooperation policy and improvement of the
efficiency and effectiveness of the technical cooperation activities. In this
way, experts from Member States will be able to offer their ideas and proposals
to the Director General, We are pleased that the Director General has made
positive response to the proposal, and is ready to hold the first meeting of the
Group by the end of the year. It is well known that the donation for TCF can
hardly meet the actual demands of the developing countries, pledges for TCF in
1994 has decreased to 72.5% against the quota. As a Chinese saying goes that, "
One cannot make bricks without straw”, along the same line, without the
guarantee of funding, the technical cooperation of the Agency can only be a "
mirage". Therefore, we call upon all Member States to actively make pledges to
their contributions in full. In order to further support the Agency's technical
assistance cooperation, I declare on behalf of Chinese Government of its
decision to make an extra donation of $200,000 in 1996 for the "Model Projects"
of the Agency, China will continue its efforts, along with other countries, in
the development of Agency's activities in the field of technical assistance and
cooperation.
Mr. President,
The Chinese government has constantly attached great importance to nuclear
safety and the safety management of radioactive waste. We are of the view that,
high-level nuclear safety and appropriate disposal of radioactive waste pave the
way for sustainable development of nuclear electricity and public acceptance of
nuclear power. We highly appreciate the series of measures adopted by the Agency
for the purpose of enhancing international cooperation in the field of nuclear
safety and radioactive waste management, and will continue to actively support
all kinds of safety service activities of the Agency. In recent years, the
international community has made great efforts for the promotion of
international nuclear safety and safe management of nuclear wastes. The Nuclear
Safety Convention, after 3 years of hard work, was opened to signature during
the 38th Session of the General Conference last September. China, as one of the
initiator and first signatories, has already signed the Convention- The Chinese
government will formally submit its instrument of ratification once the
necessary national legislative procedures are completed. A major achievement of
the Agency concerning radioactive protection is the completion of a new
International Basic Safety Standards for Protection Against Ionization Radiation
and for the Safety of Radiation Sources, which has been reviewed and approved by
the Board of Governors. We are pleased to note that, following the completion of
the Nuclear Safety Convention, the international community has set about the
preparation for "Convention on the Safety Management of Radioactive Waste".
China considers the safety management of radioactive waste as a very important
issue as it concerns the protection of global environment and hence affects our
further generations.
Mr. President,
The Chinese government attaches importance to the development of nuclear
energy industry. At present, China has 3 nuclear power units in operation. After
its formal connection to the grid in December 1991, the self-designed-and-built
300 MWe Qinshan nuclear power plant is now operating well. After its first
refueling and scheduled maintenance in October last year, it was reconnected to
the grid and is now in operation by rated power. These facts demonstrate the
reliability of the quality of those major equipment such as fuel components,
steam generator and turbo generator units designed and built on its own. The two
900 MWe units in Da Ya Bay nuclear power plant have been in smooth operation
since their entry into commercial operation last year. The average availability
factor of the two units reached 88.7%. Since their first refueling and overhaul
the end of last year and the beginning of 1995 respectively, the two units have
been reconnected to the grid and started generating power. With the speedy
development of China's economy, the demand for energy is ever increasing, and as
one of the major energy resources, the nuclear energy will develop greatly in
China. There are 4 nuclear power plants under construction or to be constructed
in China, among which the construction of two 600 MWe units in Qinshen, which is
among the nation's major projects, started last year and is planned to be
completed at the beginning of the next century. In January this year, the
governments of China and France signed a memorandum of understanding on the
joint construction of two 900 MWe units. The construction of the plant is
expected to be completed at the beginning of the next century. At the end of
1992, a Sino-Russian agreement on the joint construction of two 100 MWe units
nuclear power plant in Liaoning Province was reached between the two
governments. The experts from the both sides have finished the joint technical
and economic evaluation of the project. Furthermore, during the Canadian Prime
Minister Christien's visit to China in December last year, a bilateral agreement
on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy was signed, and the two sides
also held discussions on the export of two 700 MWe CANDU units to China as well
as the provision of favorable loan by the Canadian government. The Planned
location of the plant will be close to Qinshan plant. Apart from the
above-mentioned 4 plants, the provinces of Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Hainan
are also working on plans and evaluations on the construction of nuclear power
plants. It is expected to witness a great leap forward for China's nuclear
energy from the end of this century through the beginning of the next century.
Mr. President,
The year 1995 marks the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War. Pondering upon the past may give guidance in days to come. People of all over the world yearns for peace, development and a better world. We hope the Agency will continue its efforts in realizing the objectives set out in the Statute, and, China will, as always, make its due contributions to this end.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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.
