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Luncheon keynote address at the Carnegie International Non-Proliferation Conference To Take up Challenges With Strengthened Solidarity and Cooperation
A perspective on international non-proliferation prospect and China’s policy
By Mr. Liu Jieyi, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
Washington, 14 November 2002
Source: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to attend this international non-proliferation
conference hosted by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The issues
addressed by this conference are all the more topical as we face new changes and
challenges in the international non-proliferation situation. I wish to take this
opportunity to talk about the current non-proliferation situation and China’s
policy.
Over the past year, the international situation has undergone profound and
complex changes. Peace and development continue to be the main theme of the
times, but new challenges have come to the fore, bringing greater uncertainty
and unpredictability to our security environment. From both traditional and
non-traditional security perspectives, the threat posed by the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery to world peace and
stability is increasingly salient. Therefore, it is an urgent task to
effectively check such proliferation.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is
detrimental not only to world peace and stability but also to China’s security.
The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China reaffirmed that
development is the first priority for China and that the first two decades of
the 21st century constitute a very important period of opportunity for China’s
development. As China becomes more developed, open and closely linked with the
rest of the international community, the achievement of its development
objectives will rest more on a long-term peaceful and stable international
environment. After years of common efforts by the international community, a
relatively complete international non-proliferation regime has been put in
place. It has become an important component of the global security architecture.
China benefits from and is firmly committed to the international
non-proliferation regime. In the final analysis, to prevent the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is conducive to regional
and global peace and development and serves the common interest of all
countries, certainly China’s fundamental interest.
China has been firm, consistent and clear-cut in its policy against the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. We
have all along stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of
all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, and are firmly opposed to their
proliferation. We have steadfastly pursued a policy of not advocating,
encouraging or assisting any other country in developing weapons of mass
destruction. This policy is not expediency, nor is there any selectivity in its
application.
China has over the years actively participated in the establishment of the
multilateral non-proliferation regime and has worked for its improvement. To
date, China has signed up to almost all the international legal instruments
related to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. China is a
state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Biological Weapons
Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. China is a member of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has voluntarily placed its
civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. China is also the first among
the five nuclear-weapon states to have completed the legal procedures for the
entry into force of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement with the
IAEA.
At the national level, the Chinese Government has gone a long way in
strengthening the legal framework for the export control of sensitive items.
Over the years, China has promulgated a series of laws and regulations and
established a complete set of export control mechanisms, covering nuclear,
biological, chemical and missile fields. Recently, China promulgated the
Regulations on Export Control of Missiles and Missile-related Items and
Technologies and the Export Control List, the Regulations on the Export Control
of Dual-Use Biological Products and Related Equipment and Technologies and the
Administrative Rules on the Export Control of Relevant Chemicals and Related
Equipment and Technologies and the amended Regulations on the Administration of
Arms Export. China’s non-proliferation policy has a sound legal foundation.
China’s current non-proliferation legal system has three main features. First,
it is comprehensive. The regulations cover sensitive items, equipment and
technology in nuclear, biological, chemical and missile fields, as well as
military goods. Secondly, it is in line with international practice. Such
mechanisms as the end-use and end-user guarantee system, licensing system,
control list and “catch-all” principle have all been incorporated into China’s
export controls in nuclear, biological, chemical, missile and other fields. In
terms of the scope of the control lists, China’s Nuclear Export Control List and
Export Control List of Nuclear Dual-use Items and Related Technologies cover all
the items, equipment and technology contained in the control lists of “Zangger
Committee” and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In the biological and chemical
fields, China’s lists cover all the items, equipment and technology contained in
the control lists of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Australia Group. In
the missile field, China’s list is by and large identical with the MTCR Annex as
regards the scope and parameters. In a nutshell, China’s export controls in the
above-mentioned areas are basically the same as those of the United States, EU
and other countries in both scope and enforcement. Thirdly, it is clearly
defined and has teeth. China has clearly defined the production, operation and
export of sensitive items and the rights and obligations of the competent
authorities, and has provided for punishment against breaches of relevant laws
and regulations.
As a Chinese motto goes, do it well or not at all. In the future, the Chinese
Government will further strengthen the enforcement and public and corporate
awareness of its non-proliferation policies and laws, so as to ensure their full
implementation. China will, in light of its own conditions and drawing upon the
experience of other countries, further improve its export control system.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is
a complex and multi-faceted issue. Its proper solution lies in political and
diplomatic means and a comprehensive approach to address both the symptoms and
root causes. Countries have sufficient tools to address the symptoms. But what
about the larger environment? What can we do to contribute to a
non-proliferation-prone world? It is of utmost importance to cultivate a culture
of peace and cooperation throughout the world. We should foster a new security
concept featuring mutual trust, mutual-benefit, equality and cooperation.
Exclusion and confrontation should give way to tolerance and dialogue. Progress
in non-proliferation efforts would at best be slow in an international
environment where countries feel insecure.
Progress in non-proliferation would be inconceivable without cooperation and
universal participation by the international community. Under the current
situation, it is particularly important to preserve and strengthen the integrity
and authority of the international arms control and non-proliferation system.
International law reflects the common will of the international community and
regulates the behavior of countries. International instruments on arms control
and non-proliferation provide a legal basis for international non-proliferation
efforts and place them on a just and reasonable premise. They help to reduce
discrimination and double standard. Any damage to the existing system is
detrimental to the international non-proliferation efforts and brings about
immediate or potential adverse effects for international and regional peace and
stability. Non-proliferation efforts should promote, not hamper international
cooperation in the peaceful uses of science and technology. Only in this way can
non-proliferation enjoy the widest possible support.
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.
The new century ushers in both opportunities and challenges. Let us work
together to meet these challenges and to contribute to the development and
improvement of the international non-proliferation regime, and to international
peace, stability and development.
Thank you.
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.
