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People’s Republic of China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Statement
November 21, 2000, Beijing
China is opposed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As a State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention, China fulfills it obligations under the above international legal instruments in letter and spirit. China has no intention to assist, in any way, any country in the development of ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons (i.e., missiles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kilograms to a distance of at least 300 kilometers).
China will, based on its own missile non-proliferation policy and export control practices, further improve and reinforce its export control system, including by publishing a comprehensive export control list of missile-related items including dual use items.
Logically speaking, this control list will include equipment, material and technology that can be directly used in missiles, as well as missile-related dual use items. In establishing its control list, China will take into account the relevant practices of other countries in terms of scope and detail with a view to strengthening the effectiveness of its control system. As part and parcel of its efforts in enforcing missile-related export controls in accordance with this control list, the Chinese government will naturally require all Chinese entities and individuals to obtain a government license for the export of items on this list. In making export licensing determination for items on the list, the Chinese government will take into consideration the proposed end-use and end-user for the item and the risk that the item will be diverted to programs for the development of missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. In the case of transfers to countries that are developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, China will exercise special scrutiny and caution, even for items not specifically contained on the control list, so as to prevent significant contributions to those countries’ development of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
The Chinese government will work to publish the above missile-related export control list and related regulations at an early date. Pending that, China will continue to enforce its existing measures so as to ensure that the policy of not assisting, in any way, countries in the development of missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons will be implemented.
China stands ready to continue to cooperate and hold consultations with
the U.S. and other countries on the issue of nonproliferation with a
view to strengthening their respective export control systems for
missile related equipment and technology.
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release
November 21, 2000
Statement by the Acting Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher, Spokesman
We welcome the People Republic of China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s statement of November 21 regarding China’s clear policy commitment not to assist, in any way, other countries to develop ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons and to further improve and reinforce its export control system, including by publishing at an early date a comprehensive export control list of missile-related items, including dual use items.
This development can strengthen cooperation between the U.S. and China to achieve our common objective of preventing the spread of ballistic missiles that threaten regional and international security.
In consideration of China’s commitment to strengthen its missile-related export control system, we have decided to waive economic sanctions required by U.S. law for past assistance by Chinese entities to missile programs in Pakistan and Iran.
Given the relationship between missile nonproliferation and peaceful space cooperation, the U.S. will now resume processing of licenses necessary for commercial space cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese companies, such as launching U.S. satellites in China. In addition, the U.S. and China will resume discussions as soon as possible on extending the 1995 U.S.-China Agreement Regarding International Trade in Commercial Launch Services.
The U.S. stands ready to continue to cooperate and hold consultations with China and other countries on the issue of nonproliferation with a view to strengthening their respective export control systems for missiles-related equipment and technology.
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.
