 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
Statement by Sha Zukang,
Chinese Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament
17 August 1995
(CD/PV. 714)
(Translated from Chinese)
At the outset, Mr. President, I would like to warmly congratulate you on taking up the office of President of the Conference on Disarmament. The Chinese delegation will closely cooperate with you. At the same time I would like to extend a warm welcome to our colleagues who have just joined us, the Ambassadors from India, Canada and South Africa. I wish them success in their fulfillment of their responsibilities.
China understands the concerns of the non-nuclear States on the question of nuclear tests. On the matter of nuclear testing, China has always adopted an attitude of extreme restraints and has so far conducted a very limited number of tests. It is the hope of China that the Ad Hoc Committee on an NTB of the Conference on Disarmament will, in accordance with its mandate, conclude as early as possible and not later than in 1996 an "excellent" comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty. The Chinese delegation will, as always, partcipate in the negotiations with a positive, serious and responsible attitude so as to make its contribution to the early conclusion of such a treaty. Once the comprehensive test-ban treaty enters into force, China will abide by the treaty and stop nuclear testing forever.
China possesses a small number of nuclear weapons solely for the purpose of self-defense. The nuclear weaponry of China poses no threat to any State. On the contrary, China itself has always lived under the shadow of the nuclear threat.
From the first day China came into possession of its nuclear weapons, it committed itself unconditionally not to be the first to use nuclear weapons and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States or nuclear-free zones. On many occasions China has suggested that the nuclear-weapon States should negotiate and conclude a legally binding international treaty against the first use and on the non-use of nuclear weapons. China suggested long ago that, as in the case of the comprehensive prohibition of chemical weapons and biological weapons, we should try to conclude a treaty on the comprehensive prohibition of nuclear weapons and their total destruction. It is our hope that the above-mentioned suggestion of China will secure an early positive response from the parties concerned.
China has its own views with regard to some members of military alliances which, while enjoying the protection of a nuclear umbrella and supporting the policy of nuclear deterrence, resort to the practice of making remarks about a small number of limited nuclear tests conducted by another State.
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.
