On August, 12, 2009, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi delivered a speech at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He introduced China's observation on how to promote international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation and elaborated on China's position and policy on nuclear disarmament.

During his speech, Yang said in order to push for sound progress of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, the international community should embrace a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, and work for a harmonious and stable international and regional security environment. "We should uphold multilateralism, bring into full play the role of the United Nations and other multilateral mechanisms, and consolidate and reinforce the existing multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regimes. We should maintain international strategic balance and stability, and achieve security for all based on mutual respect and equal treatment of the legitimate security interests of all parties. We should also intensify dialogue and cooperation, and commit to peaceful settlement of international disputes."

Yang said to achieve the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons for a world free of nuclear weapons is the common aspiration of all peace-loving people. It is also a goal that China has all along been advocating and pursuing with unremitting efforts. To achieve the above goals, the process of nuclear disarmament must be advanced in real earnest. As countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, the United States and Russia bear special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament. The two countries should continue to drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals so as to create necessary conditions for the eventual complete and thorough nuclear disarmament. Nuclear-weapon-states should commit themselves to no-first-use of nuclear weapons as early as possible. The international community should negotiate and conclude an international legal instrument on security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states at an early date. The practice of seeking absolute strategic advantage should be abandoned. Countries should neither develop missile defense systems that undermine global strategic stability nor deploy weapons in outer space. As a long-term goal, the international community should also conclude a convention on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons.

Yang pointed out that the risk of nuclear weapon proliferation must be eliminated. Efforts should be made to further strengthen the international non-proliferation mechanism. It is important to resolve proliferation issues through political and diplomatic means and to reject any practice of double standards. Peaceful use of nuclear energy and its international cooperation must be promoted. The right of NPT signatories to peaceful use of nuclear energy should not be compromised under the excuse of non-proliferation.

Yang said that China remains committed to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. China attaches importance to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation and has made its due contributions to this end. "And we have faithfully abided by our commitment that we will not be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances and that we will unconditionally not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. In fact, we are the only nuclear-weapon state that has undertaken such a commitment and this policy will not change in the future. We have never deployed such weapons on foreign soil. We have never participated in any form of nuclear arms race and nor will we ever do so." China is ready to work with the international community for the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and supports the Conference in launching negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) at an early date. China opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery. China calls for peacefully resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

Yang said outer space is now facing the looming danger of weaponization. Credible and effective multilateral measures must be taken to forestall the weaponization and arms race in outer space. This is of high strategic significance and is also in the common interest of all countries.

Based in Geneva, the Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. The CD is now holding the third part of its 2009 session. At the end of this May, the Conference on Disarmament broke its 12-year deadlock and reached consensus on the work programme of the 2009 session. The Conference on Disarmament has 65 members and China joined the forum in 1980.

Before addressing the Conference on Disarmament, Yang met with Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of Conference on Disarmament, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.