(New York, 27 September 2013)

Mr. Chairman,

Please allow me, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, to congratulate the co-presidents Hungary and Indonesia for your election. I am confident that with your rich diplomatic experience, you will surely guide the conference to a success. Taking this opportunity, I would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the out-going co-presidents, Mexico and Sweden, Executive Secretary Dr. Lassina Zerbo of the Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and all the people who are working diligently to facilitate the entry into force of the Treaty.

Mr. Chairman,

As an indispensable component of global security order, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is an important milestone in human endeavors toward the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world and an important pillar of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The CTBT, together with the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and other important international arms control treaties, is of great significance for preventing horizontal and vertical nuclear proliferation and promoting international nuclear disarmament process.

We are glad to notice that since the CTBT was opened for signature 17 years ago, more and more countries have signed and ratified the Treaty. The Treaty's purposes and objectives have gained extensive recognition and support by the international community. Nuclear-test-ban has become an international consensus strongly supported by the vast majority of countries in the world. With the joint efforts of member states and the PTS, the technical preparatory work before the Treaty's entry-into-force has made positive progress and the Treaty's verification regime has been developing steadily. China would like to express its deep appreciation in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

Promoting an early entry-into-force of the CTBT is of great practical significance to maintaining and consolidating international peace and security. The international community should enhance solidarity and cooperation, expand the consensus on CTBT, so as to create favorable conditions for the early entry-into-force of the CTBT. To this end, the international society should dedicate its efforts on the following aspects:

First, cultivating a benign international environment featuring peace, stability and common security. We should foster a new security concept centering on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, work to eliminate confrontations and distrust, thus eradicating the root causes for the existence and proliferation of nuclear weapons and creating favorable environment for the early entry-into-force of the Treaty.

Second, maintaining and strengthening the existing international regime of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. We should, abide by and implement our obligations and commitments, maintain policy consistency and eliminate double standards and discriminatory practices, so as to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the regime and norms of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

Third, adopting measures which adhere to the objectives and principles of the CTBT. We should take pracitical measures to advance the nuclear disarmament process. Those measures should include, but not limited to, strictly observing moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions, refraining from research or development of new nuclear weapon designs, reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security strategy, and unconditionally undertaking no-first-use of nuclear weapons and no use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states.

Fourth, participating in the work of the PrepCom for the CTBTO actively. We should further promote the establishment and development of the monitoring and verification system and provide technical and material guarantee for the Treaty's entry-into-force. Member states should pay their assessed contributions to the CTBTO on time and in full, support the work of the CTBTO actively and participate in the activities aiming at facilitating the Treaty's entry-into-force earnestly.

Mr. Chairman,

As one of the first signatories of the CTBT, China has always firmly supported the purposes and objectives of the Treaty, and has strictly observed its commitment of moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions. China has been supportive to all international efforts aiming at facilitating the entry into force of the Treaty and has participated in all the previous Article XIV Conferences. In recent years, China actively supported and co-sponsored the relevant resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly.

China actively advances its preparation work for implementation of the Treaty pending its entry into force and participates in the work of the Prepcom in a constructive manner so as to create conditions for the entry-into-force of the Treaty. China has maintained close coordination and cooperation with the PTS. Executive Secretary of the PTS Dr. Zerbo made a successful visit to China last August and this visit further deepens bilateral relations between China and the PTS. China attaches great importance to the 2014 On-Site Inspection Integrated Field Exercise and has voluntarily donated two self-developed Noble Gas Detecting equipments to IFE14. China also, jointly with the PTS, conducted Radioactive Nobel Gas Equipment Training Course last April. China will, co-host with the PTS, the 21st On-Site Inspection Workshop in Yangzhou this November. China welcomes the official launching of the CTBT Group of Eminent Persons and is confident that the Group will contribute its own merits in promoting the entry-into-force of the Treaty.

The Chinese government has submitted the Treaty to the National People's Congress for its deliberation and will continue to push forward the deliberation process. I am confident that China will never become the obstacle for the Treaty's entry-into-force. The Chinese government will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the Prepcom of the CTBTO and the international society in promoting the early entry-into-force of the Treaty.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.