On February 12, 2008, China and Russia jointly submitted a draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Use of or Threat to Use Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) to the plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva and proposed the formation of a new international statute through negotiations for the sake of preventing the weaponization of outer space, banning an arms race in outer space and safeguarding the peace and tranquility of outer space.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the session, introducing the draft treaty. Ambassador Li Baodong, Permanent Representative of China to the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, read out the written speech in the plenary session on behalf of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Yang said, in his written address, that the Conference on Disbarment, as the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, shouldered an important responsibility in promoting arms control and disarmament in the world. China paid high attention to and actively participated in the work of the Conference on Disarmament. Preventing an arms race in outer space is an important topic of the conference.

Yang pointed out that outer space was closely linked with the daily life of the people and concerned the welfare and social progress of all countries. For many years, the international community, through arduous efforts, had entered into a series of international statutes, which had played positive roles in the peaceful exploration and utilization of outer space.

Yang stressed that preventing the weaponization of outer space and an arms race in outer space and safeguarding the peace and tranquility of outer space conforms to the interest of all countries. It was necessary for the international community to develop new statutes to strengthen the current legal system governing outer space. The UN General Assembly, for over 20 years in the past, had successively passed resolutions with an overwhelming majority, reaffirming that the Conference on Disarmament should play a leading role in forming multilateral accords banning an arms race in outer space through negotiations.

Yang said that in light of the above considerations China and Russia jointly drafted the Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Use of or Threat to Use Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT). China hoped that the Conference on Disarmament would conduct substantial discussions on the draft treaty as soon as possible and reach a consensus. China would like to work together with all the member states of the conference towards this goal. China hoped that the Conference on Disarmament could make positive achievements with the joint efforts of all member states.

Lavrov stressed that the security situation in outer space was facing tough challenges. He urged the member states of the Conference on Disarmament to conduct extensive discussions on the draft treaty jointly submitted by China and Russia so as to strengthen and maintain the security of outer space. Russia hoped that the member states could make joint efforts to urge the Conference on Disarmament to start practical work.

Preventing an arms race in outer space is always one of the most important subjects of the Conference on Disarmament. From 1985 to 1994, the Conference on Disarmament successively established the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) to conduct in-depth discussions on subjects related to outer space. It was the consensus of the international community to enter into an international legal document preventing an arms race in outer space through negotiations. The draft treaty jointly submitted by China and Russia would help the Conference on Disarmament launch discussions on the subject of preventing an arms race in outer space and help the international community reach consensus on the issues related to the outer space, that is, entering into an international legal document through negotiations to safeguard the peace and security in outer space.