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Summary:
The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material provides for certain levels of physical protection during international transport of nuclear material. Contracting states agree to ensure during international nuclear transport the protection of nuclear material within their territory or on board their ships or aircraft. The convention also establishes a general framework for cooperation among states in the protection, recovery, and return of stolen nuclear material. The convention also lists certain serious offenses involving nuclear material which state parties are to make punishable and for which offenders shall be subject to a system of extradition or submission for prosecution.
The Convention entered into force 8 February 1987, in accordance with the provision for entry into force 30 days after the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the 21st State (Switzerland).
For more in-depth information, please consult the Inventory of Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, which can be found on the CNS website at: http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/.
China and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material:
China acceded to the Convention on 10 January 1989.
On 12 July 1994, China formulated the "Regulations Governing the Protection of Nuclear Materials in Kind During International Transportation," pursuant to its obligations under the Convention. The regulations came into effect on 15 September 1994. The regulations include provisions on: requiring that the competent state authorities approve all international transporation of nuclear materials; instituting a licensing system, under which without state approval no one can possess, transfer, or transport nuclear materials; requiring that the competent state authorities approve any passage and transportation of nuclear materials in China; investigating any unauthorized acceptance, possession, transfer, replacement, and disposal of nuclear materials; making illegal the stealing or acquiring of nuclear materials through fraud and extortion. The regulations also cover the responsibilities, management, protection categories and measures, and legal responsibilities of the relevant Chinese bodies in charge of nuclear transportation.
[Sources: Roland M. Timerbaev and Meggen M. Watt, Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, 1995 edition, p. 53; Weixing Hu, "China's Nuclear Export Controls: Policy And Regulations," Nonproliferation Review, Winter 1994, p. 5; Xinhua, 14 September 1994, in JPRS-TND-94-019, 17 October 1994.]
[TEXT OF THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION CONVENTION]
For more on China and the physical protection of nuclear material, see:
[CHINA'S ATTITUDE TOWARD NUCLEAR SAFETY AND MATERIALS PROTECTION]
For more on China and treaties dealing with nuclear safety and materials, see the following pages:
[CHINA AND THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS NOTIFICATION CONVENTION]
[CHINA AND THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS ASSISTANCE CONVENTION]
[CHINA AND THE NUCLEAR SAFETY CONVENTION]
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.
