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Nuclear disarmament and reduction of the danger of nuclear war--Working paper submitted by China at the First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference

(May 2007, Vienna)

2007-05-11 00:00

Mr. Chairman,

Nuclear disarmament is of great significance to improving the international security environment and promoting world peace and stability. Over the years, China has been supportive of international efforts in the nuclear disarmament field and earnestly implemented its nuclear disarmament obligations. It has contributed a lot to the promotion of the international nuclear disarmament process through its own efforts.

China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-dependence. China stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and the conclusion of relevant international legal instrument thereupon. It calls upon all the nuclear-weapon states to abandon the policies of nuclear deterrence based on the first use of nuclear weapons, to commit themselves to no first use of nuclear weapons, and to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policy. China remains firmly committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. It unconditionally undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China signed and ratified relevant protocols to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin American and the Caribbean, South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty and other nuclear-weapon-free zones treaties open for signature. China has reached an agreement with ASEAN on the relevant questions of the protocols to Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty and stands ready to sign the protocols when they are open for signature. China supports the efforts of the Central Asian nations in building a nuclear-weapon -free zone and welcomes the signing of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.

Mr. Chairman,

China has always supported to reach the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty through negotiation and hopes the Conference on Disarmament to reach a comprehensive and balanced program of work so as to begin at an early date substantive work on such important issues as nuclear disarmament, FMCT, prevention of an arms race in outer space and negative security assurances.

China supports the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and is committed to ratifying the Treaty at an early date. It actively participates in the preparatory work of the CTBT Organization and will continue to abide by its commitment of the moratorium on nuclear test before the CTBT comes into force. China appeals to other relevant countries to sign and ratify the CTBT soon.

The efforts in preventing the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space and advancing nuclear disarmament are mutually complementary. If weapon systems were deployed in outer space, global strategic balance and stability would be disrupted and an arms race including a nuclear one be provoked. Therefore, China have all along stood for the negotiation of, in the CD, an international legal agreement on the prohibition of deployment of weapons in outer space, threat or use of force against outer space objects.

Mr. Chairman,

The Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the NPT outlined some principles and guidelines concerning nuclear disarmament. The Document requests that the reduction of nuclear weapons should be carried out in accordance with the principles of being effectively verifiable, irreversible and legally binding. Any nuclear disarmament measures, including various intermediate measures and transparence measures, should observe the guidelines of promoting international strategic stability and undiminished security for all, should be conducive to the promotion of international peace and security, and should be conducive to ensure the nuclear disarmament process a right perspective. These principles should continue to be incorporated into the proposals submitted to the 2010 Review Conference.

China is in favor of the series of intermediate measures with regard to nuclear disarmament which the Final Document stipulates. It will comply with the aforementioned principles and guidelines and is ready to consider implementing relevant measures at appropriate time and under appropriate conditions in the due course of the nuclear disarmament process. At the same time, China holds that the nuclear disarmament should be a just and reasonable process of gradual reduction towards a downward balance. States possessing the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenals bear special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should take the lead in drastically reducing their nuclear arsenals and bind their reduction commitment through legal instruments. All nuclear weapons reduced from their arsenals should be destroyed rather than stored. China is of the view that the following measures should be taken so as to promote nuclear disarmament, reduce the danger of nuclear war and diminish the role of nuclear weapons in the national security policy:

--The nuclear-weapon States should abandon the policies of nuclear deterrence based on the first use of nuclear weapons and lowering the threshold of using nuclear weapons;

--The nuclear-weapon States should honor their commitment not to target their nuclear weapons against any countries, nor to list any countries as targets of nuclear strike;

--All nuclear-weapon States should undertake that at any time or under any circumstances, not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones; and to conclude relevant international legal instruments thereupon;

--States should withdraw and return home all the nuclear weapons deployed outside their own territories;

--The policy and practice of nuclear umbrella and nuclear sharing should be abandoned;

--Not to develop easy-to-use low-yield nuclear weapons;

--The nuclear-weapon States should take all necessary steps to avoid accidental or unauthorized launches of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Chairman,

China firmly supports and will actively participate in the next round of review process of the NPT. China will join the international community in making efforts towards a successful session of Preparatory Committee and the coming Review Conference.

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