| China's Position Paper on UN Reforms (full text)
 (Xinhua)
 Updated: 2005-06-08 11:35
 3. Disarmament and Non-proliferation
 China has always 
stood for the comprehensive prohibition and thorough destruction of weapons of 
mass destruction (WMD) and opposed any forms of proliferation of WMD and their 
delivery systems. China has been actively promoting the international nuclear 
disarmament process.
 
 All nuclear weapon states should conclude a treaty 
on non-first use of nuclear weapons. They should also commit themselves 
unconditionally to not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against 
non-nuclear weapon countries or regions and conclude a binding international 
legal instrument in this regard.
 
 The international community should take 
effective measures in real earnest to maintain and strengthen the universality 
and authority of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). 
All signatories should adopt a constructive attitude and a balanced view towards 
the three major goals of the Treaty.
 
 China supports the Comprehensive 
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and hopes that the Treaty will come into effect at an 
early date. China will maintain its moratorium on nuclear tests and work for the 
early ratification of the Treaty.
 
 China supports the early launch of 
negotiation on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty on the basis of a balanced 
program of work to be agreed at the Disarmament Conference in 
Geneva.
 
 China supports the important role played by the International 
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preventing nuclear weapon proliferation and 
promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy in accordance with the purposes of its 
Statute. Under the current circumstances, it is necessary to discuss, through 
international cooperation and consultation, how to further strengthen the 
nuclear non-proliferation regime, which includes such an important issue as how 
to take appropriate measures to further strengthen the effectiveness of IAEA 
safeguards. China stresses the importance of IAEA Additional Protocol and hopes 
to see the strengthening of its universality.
 
 China supports and actively 
participates in multilateral efforts aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of 
the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and takes a positive attitude 
towards the immediate resumption of negotiation on a verification protocol of 
the Convention. China supports the conclusion of a new biological security 
protocol by the State Parties to the Convention through negotiations so as to 
classify dangerous biological agents and establish binding international 
standards for the export of agents of this kind.
 
 China is in favor of 
strengthening the universality of the BTWC and the Chemical Weapons Convention 
(CWC).
 
 The States Parties to the BTWC should observe the consultation, 
cooperation and investigation mechanism of the Convention, which is a main means 
to deal with the alleged use of biological weapons. The Secretary-General 
mechanism has its own historical background and scope of application. If most 
States Parties agree, it may be completely reviewed through multilateral 
negotiations.
 
 China encourages all States Parties to submit information 
on confidence-building measures as required by the Review Conference of the 
BTWC.
 
 Countries that have chemical weapons should accelerate their 
efforts to destroy their complete storage of chemical weapons, old chemical 
weapons and chemical weapons abandoned in other countries. The verification 
mechanism of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) 
generally functions well. The States Parties can address concerns for breach 
through mechanisms of clarification, consultation and cooperation. If material 
breach happens, the Conference of the States Parties or the Executive Council 
may call the attention of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to 
that question.
 
 China opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction and their delivery systems, supports the strengthening of the 
current international non-proliferation regime and calls for the resolution of 
proliferation issues within the framework of international law by political and 
diplomatic means. Any non-proliferation measures should contribute to 
international and regional peace, security and stability. Like many other 
nations, China is not in favor of the interceptive measures taken by the 
Proliferation Security Initiative beyond the international law.
 
 The 
prevention of weaponization of outer space and any forms of arms race in outer 
space conduces to global strategic stability and promotes the process of arms 
control and disarmament. The international community should attach great 
importance to this and take vigorous and effective measures to forestall this 
danger. The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva should promptly set up an ad hoc 
committee for the negotiations and conclusion of relevant international legal 
instruments or work toward the objective of plugging the loopholes in the 
current legal regime of outer space and effectively preventing the weaponization 
of outer space and any forms of arms race in outer space.
 
 The Convention 
on Certain Conventional Weapons plays an important role in addressing the 
humanitarian concerns arising from war. China has always actively participated 
in all work related to the Convention. China hopes that the Protocol on the 
Explosive Remnants of War will come into effect at an early date and be 
implemented in real earnest. China will continue to support and participate in 
the work of Group of Governmental Experts of the Convention, hoping progress 
will be made in related work.
 
 China supports the international 
community's efforts in combating the illicit trade in small arms and light 
weapons and supports the negotiation for the conclusion of an international 
instrument on "marking and tracing of the illicit small arms and light weapons." 
The illicit trade in small arms involves many factors such as disarmament, 
security, development and humanitarianism and should be addressed through a 
comprehensive and appropriate approach. In this regard, states shall take on the 
primary responsibilities and strengthen coordination and cooperation, and the UN 
should continue to play a leading role.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
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