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Speech by Head of the
Chinese Delegation to the International Conference
"Central Asia--Nuclear Weapons Free Zone"
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
15 September 1997
Mr. Chairman,
I wish to extend my hearty thanks to His Excellency Mr. Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, for his kind invitation to His Excellency Mr. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier and Foreign Minister of China. I am honoured to attend, on behalf of Mr. Qian, the international Conference "Central Asia--Nuclear Weapons Free Zone" here in Tashkent.
China has always respected and supported nuclear-weapon-free zones and has undertaken unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones. Based on this position, China has signed and ratified the relevant protocols of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.
As a neighbour of Central Asia, China has enjoyed a good cooperative relationship with the five Central Asian countries. It appreciates and supports their endeavour to establish a Central Asian nuclear-weapon-free zone in the interest of regional peace and security. It stands ready to work tirelessly with all countries, including the five Central Asian nations, for the maintenance of world peace and security and for the ultimate realisation of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weappons.
Mr. Chairman,
The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones is of great importance to the advancement of nuclear disarmament, the prevention of nuclear proliferation and the promotion of international and regional peace and security. To this end, we believe that the following principles regarding nuclear-weapon-free zones should be observed:
- Nuclear-weapon-free zones should be established by relevant countries in light of the realities of their region on the basis of voluntary agreement through consultations among themselves.
- Treaties on nuclear-weapon-free zones should be consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and should not be used to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries outside of the relevant nuclear-weapon-free zone.
- The nuclear-weapon-free status of nuclear-weapon-free zones should not be subject to influence of any other security mechanism. Countries in nuclear-weapon-free zones should not refuse to fulfil their obligations under any excuses, including that of a military alliance.
- A nuclear-weapon-free zone should have a clear geographical border. It should not include continental shelves and EEZs, nor the areas where there exist disputes over sovereignty of territory or maritime rights and interests between the contracting parties to the nuclear-weapon-free-zone treaty and their neighbouring countries.
- Effective verification mechanisms, including IAEA's safeguards, should be put in place in nuclear-weapon-free zones so as to effectively prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
- The arrangements of nuclear-weapon-free zones should be conducive to the international cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy among member states so as to promote the development of their economy and science and technology.
- The nuclear-weapon states should respect the status of nuclear-weapon-free zones, undertake corresponding obligations and commit themselves to unconditional non-use and threat of use of nuclear weapons against nuclear-weapon-free zones.
Mr. Chairman,
As a Chinese saying goes, "A one-thousand-mile journey is started by taking the first step", I believe that the present Conference will lay a solid foundation for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia.
To conclude, I wish the Conference a complete success.
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.
