Respectable Mr. Director-General,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this golden autumn, you are gathering here in Beijing to discuss the significant issue of the implementation of the CWC by Asian countries. I would like to express congratulations on the convening of the meeting and extend welcome for your participation, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciations to the Technical Secretariat for its efficient and orderly preparations.

Since the inception of the new century, international situations have undergone complex and profound changes. Against the background of the in-depth development of economic globalization, interdependence among countries is continuously deepening. To peruse peace, promote cooperation and seek development has become the theme of the current era.

However, our world is far from peaceful, and destabilizing and unpredictable factors are obviously growing. Blood-shed and clashes resulting from ethnic, religious, territorial issues and other traditional security factors have not become fewer and non-traditional threats to security represented by transnational crimes, epidemic diseases, terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are increasing day by day. Mankind is facing an unprecedented severe challenge.

People should more cherish the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that was concluded 12 years ago and entered into force 7 years ago, while comparing the past with the present. The CWC is the first legal document on the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction with strict verification regime in the world and has set up a successful example for the efforts of multilateral arms control and non-proliferation.

Universality is where the vitality of the CWC lies and the foundation of realizing a world free of chemical weapons. We are pleased to see that with the efforts by the Technical Secretariat and contracting parties, up to now, the contracting countries have increased from 89 to 164. The CWC has become one of the most universal treaties on international arms control and non-proliferation.

Over the past seven years, contracting countries and the Technical Secretariat trusted and helped each other and cooperated with concerted efforts. Although the work of implementing the Convention has gone through rugged and rough process, it has, on the whole, scored remarkable results. These achievements can be seen from the following aspects.

First, most contracting countries including some major nations can submit declarations to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on schedule and do a good job in receiving inspections, according to the Convention.

Second, the destruction of chemical weapons is under way steadily. By the end of the past March, Category One of Chemical Weapons of the countries holding chemical weapons has been destroyed by 12 %, and the destruction of Category Two and Three is basically complete.

Third, the verification regime is operating smoothly and increasingly deepened. By now, the violations of the Convention have not been found in regular verifications of the CWC. This shows that the Convention has played an active and effective role in non-proliferation. At the same time, it reflects the sincerity of the contracting countries in implementing the CWC and has enhanced trust among them.

Of course, there are also some noteworthy issues existing in the CWC implementation. For example, the destruction of chemical weapons is lagging behind the time limit set by the Convention and related countries need increase financial input and strengthen efforts. International cooperation is still not drawing due attention and contracting countries should try to accumulate more consensus and carry out substantial work at an early date, so as to benefit all parties.

In brief, as an import part of the international system of arms control, disarmament and anti-proliferation, the entering into force and implementation of the Convention reflects our times' mainstream of pursuing security through cooperation and seeking peace through collaboration and has exerted active and far-reaching influence on safeguarding and promoting international peace and security. In the current situation, to safeguard the authority of the CWC, promote its all-round and effective implementation holds greater realistic significance.

Respectable Mr. Director-General,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China has always supported the purposes and objectives of the Convention, attached great importance to the implementation work and fulfilled its own obligations strictly and earnestly. According to the provisions of the Convention and China's national conditions, China has formulated and implemented implementation-related regulations and set up and improved the National Authority encompassing the entire country. Over the past seven years, China submitted declarations of all kinds on time while ensuring their quality and successfully received more than 80 inspections. The practice has proven that China's measures of the CWC implementation are strong and effective.

China has all along taken as the direction of efforts pushing for the implementation of the Convention in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan within the framework of "one China". The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has concluded implementation-related legislations and submitted declarations, and the implementation work has been launched. The relevant preparations by the government of Macao Special Administrative Region including legislations on the implementation are also under way in an orderly manner. China would like to properly address the issue of implementing the Convention in the Taiwan region under the prerequisite of "one China".

But China's implementation work is facing quite a number of difficulties. With the wide spread of China's chemical utilities for civic use, different levels of management and the replacement of surveyors of the National Authority, to do a good job in declaring and in receiving inspections requires arduous work. With regard to China-Japan cooperation, dealing with chemical weapons abandoned by Japan on the territory of China has made some progress, but as for the time limit of the destruction of the Convention, there is still a large quantity of substantial work before us. A large number of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan on the territory of China are still gravely damaging China's biological environment and the security of people's lives and properties. China stands ready to launch work of substantive destruction at an early date through China-Japan cooperation and the support from OPCW wighin the framework of the Convention, in order to eliminate this severe harm as soon as possible.

By combining with its own experience, China has got the following views and proposals on further implementing the Convention.

First, to formulate legislations according to the provisions of the Convention and regulate the Convention-implementing behavior through legal means is the foundation of the CWC implementation.

Second, to establish and improve National Authorities in light of the national conditions is the key for the implementation of the Convention.

Third, to give priority to resources input and cultivate and establish a team of efficient and professional personnel for the implementation is an important guarantee for the implementation work.

Fourth, to deepen the industrial community's understanding of the Convention and enhance their Convention-implementing awareness is a necessary approach of the implementation of the CWC.

Respectable Mr. Director-General,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Asia is a region with the largest area and population in the world. Since modern times, people of Asian countries suffered from aggressions and wars to the fullest extent. Therefore, governments and people of Asian countries have always cherished and committed themselves to the world's lasting peace and stability and try to seek common development and prosperity for the international community. Through the joint efforts by all the countries, the implementation of the Convention in Asia has got a good start and won gratifying achievements. I believe that with your hard work, the implementation work of the CWC in Asia will surely enjoy a brighter prospect.

China has always advocated that contracting countries learn from each other's strong points and close the gap on the issue of the CWC implementation, which are significant to realizing the purposes and objectives of the Convention. This is also China's intention of holding this meeting. Present at this meeting are some 100 delegates from 30 countries including not only contracting countries, but also non-contracting ones. Your active participation in this meeting fully embodies the attention and support of the international community including Asian nations for the CWC. In the next three days, delegates of various countries and the experts from the OPCW Technical Secretariat will exchange views and hold discussions on submitting decelerations, receiving inspections and the management of chemical imports and exports, which is very important and conducive.

Autumn is a harvesting season. Therefore I hope that you can benefic from this meeting. China would like to join hands with all countries and the Technical Secretariat to continue contributing to realizing the purposes and objectives of the Convention at an early date, thoroughly eliminating the threats of chemical weapons and safeguarding world peace and security.

I wish this meeting a great success!

Thank you!