Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZs)

Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZs)

Summary

A Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) is a regional agreement that prohibits the acquisition, stockpiling, deployment, and testing of nuclear weapons in a given region. A Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) free zone extends the prohibition to include other weapons of mass destruction, such as biological and chemical weapons.

There are a number of treaties currently in existence that establish regional NWFZs. These include:

Delegates of the five Central Asian states agreed in September, 2002, to the text of a treaty that would establish a Central Asian NWFZ (CANWFZ).

In addition, Mongolia unilaterally declared its territory to be a NWFZ in September, 1992.

Other proposed regional NWFZs include a Middle East NWFZ/WMD-Free Zone, Central and Eastern European NWFZ, and a Northeast Asian NWFZ.

China and NWFZs

China has signed the relevant protocols of several NWFZ treaties. These include:

China has signed and ratified Protocol 2 of the Treaty of Tlatelolco (Latin America). According to China, the transport of nuclear weapons through the territory, territorial sea, or airspace of Latin America is prohibited.

China has signed and ratified Protocols 2 and 3 of the Treaty of Rarotonga (South Pacific). China signed the protocols with the understanding that it could reconsider its obligations in the event that other nuclear weapon states or treaty parties violated the treaty and its protocols. Such violations would change the treaty's status and threaten China's security. However, China did not refer to this understanding when it ratified the protocols.

China has signed the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Pelindaba (Africa).

In July 1999 at the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Singapore, China's Foreign Minister announced that China would sign the relevant protocols to the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). Previously, China objected to the fact that the geographical scope of the zone included portions of the South China Sea, which China claims as its territorial waters.

In addition, China has stated its support on various occasions for the establishment of additional NWFZs in the Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Central Europe, the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, and South Asia. China is the only NWS to have expressed support for a CANWFZ.

Chinese Statements on NWFZs

On 15 September 1997, China presented its seven principles on the creation of NWFZs, stating "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 fulfill 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 neighboring countries.
Effective verification mechanisms, including IAEA 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. ["Speech by Head of the Chinese Delegation to the International Conference 'Central Asia--Nuclear Weapons Free Zone'," Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 15 September 1997.]

In an 18 April 1995 statement to the NPT Review and Extension Conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen stated:

"China supports the efforts of relevant countries and regions to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones or zones free of weapons of mass destruction through voluntary consultations." ["Statement By H.E. Qian Qichen, Vice Premier And Foreign Minister And Head Of Delegation Of The People's Republic Of China At The 1995 Review And Extension Conference Of The Parties To The Treaty On The Non-Proliferation Of Nuclear Weapons," 18 April 1995.]

In its November 1995 white paper on arms control and disarmament, China stated that it:

"has always respected and supported the demands of the countries concerned for the establishment of [NWFZs] on the basis of voluntary consultation and agreement and in accordance with actual local circumstances...China welcomes the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty...and supports the proposal by relevant nations on the establishment of nuclear-free zones in the Korean Peninsula, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East."["China: Arms Control And Disarmament," Information Office of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, November 1995.]

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/.

Key statements/documents on China and NWFZs

[NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONES (NWFZs) - CHRONOLOGY OF STATEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS]

[CHINA AND SECURITY ASSURANCES]

For more information about China and "non-armament" treaties, see the following pages:

[CHINA AND THE ANTARCTIC TREATY]

[CHINA AND THE OUTER SPACE TREATY (OST)]

[CHINA AND THE SEABED ARMS CONTROL TREATY]