Mr. Chair,

The complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, with the ultimate attainment of a nuclear-weapon-free world, serve the common interests of mankind and constitute a shared aspiration of all countries.

Today, the international security environment is undergoing a complex array of profound changes, with existing international arms control and non-proliferation system brought under severe strain. Cold war mentality has resurged as the prism through which some major country assesses international security environment and the basis for the formulation of its strategic security polices. The world is confronted with a critical choice between unilateralism and multilateralism, confrontation and dialogue, isolation and openness, zero-sum game and win-win progress. The international community is generally concerned about the exacerbating international environment.

China believes that, under current circumstances, it is ever more important to underline the conducive role that the consistent nuclear disarmament progress could play in improving international security environment, and is more pertinent than ever for all countries to jointly champion multilateralism, oppose and discard cold war mentality, and to uphold the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral mechanism with the NPT included. Over the years, US-Russia bilateral nuclear disarmament agreement have contributed to international peace and security. Joint efforts by nuclear weapon states to preserve the authority of NPT and the rule-based international order, as well as persistent fulfillment of their obligations under those bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements to which they are parties, will make great contributions to continued improvement of the international security environment.

With this understanding, China has the following viewpoints:

I) Bear in mind the historical responsibility of building a community of shared future for mankind through consultation and joint efforts, promote the building of a new form of international relations characterized by mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, uphold a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, fully respect and accommodate the legitimate and reasonable security concerns for all states, and strive to build a peaceful and stable international security environment.

II) Take fair and reasonable nuclear disarmament steps of gradual reduction towards a downward balance, relevant measures should follow the principles of "maintaining global strategic stability" and "undiminished security for all". Countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner while faithfully implementing their existing nuclear arms reduction treaties. This would create necessary conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join in multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament.

III) Diminish the role of nuclear weapons in national security doctrines, and abandon the policies of nuclear deterrence based on the first-use of nuclear weapons. All nuclear-weapon states should commit to no-first-use of nuclear weapons unconditionally, and conclude international legal instruments in this regard. The historic process of banning biological and chemical weapons shows that "no-first-use" is the most practical, feasible and valuable means of nuclear disarmament at present.

IV) All nuclear-weapon states should commit themselves to the effective implementation of Article 6 of the NPT, abide by the outcomes of previous NPT Review Conferences, and openly declare that they have no intention to seek permanent possession of nuclear weapons. Relevant nuclear-weapon states should put an end to the policy and practice of nuclear umbrella and nuclear sharing, and withdraw all nuclear weapons that are deployed in other countries. Building nuclear-weapon-free zones is an important step towards realizing a nuclear-weapon-free world. Nuclear-weapon states should support in a more active manner the efforts by non-nuclear-weapon states to build nuclear-weapon-free zones on the basis of consultations among themselves and voluntary agreements.

V) The three pillars of NPT, i.e. Nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy are complementing each other and should not be partially neglected. The international community should promote the three pillars in a comprehensive and balanced manner, oppose double standards, maintain and strengthen the authority, universality and effectiveness of the treaty.

Mr. Chair,

As a nuclear-weapon State, China has never evaded its responsibility, and has earnestly been fulfilling its obligation of nuclear disarmament, strictly adhered to the outcomes of previous NPT Review Conferences, and made sincere contributions to promoting nuclear disarmament through concrete actions.

-China remains committed to the path of peaceful development, adhering to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and upholding an open, transparent and responsible nuclear policy.

-China has never deployed any nuclear weapons abroad, has never participated in nuclear arms race of any kind, nor will China participate in the future. China's nuclear force is always kept at the minimal level required by national security.

-China undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones. This is the most transparent policy, and the most consistent commitment.

-China supports the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban, and has strictly observed its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing. China is making steady progress in domestic preparation for the implementation of the Treaty. A batch of IMS monitoring stations in China has been certified by the PTS, highlighting China's firm support to the Treaty.

-China supports the early commencement of negotiation on FMCT under the framework of the Conference on Disarmament, on the basis of an agreement on a comprehensive and balanced program of work, pursuant to the Shannon Report (CD/1299) and the mandate contained therein. The United Nations FMCT High-Level Preparatory Group has accomplished its mission, and China supports the CD to establish the subsidiary body to continue relevant technical discussions.

-China supports all sides to have frank, practical and meaningful dialogues on international security environment, global strategic stability, reducing risks of nuclear war, etc., within the existing regime.

-China values the constructive dialogues with non-nuclear-weapon states, and fully understands the good will of non-nuclear-weapon States to speed up international nuclear disarmament. China stands ready to maintain communication and engagement with non-nuclear-weapon States with a view to preserving and strengthening the current nuclear disarmament mechanism, and to achieving the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons with a step-by-step approach.

Mr. Chair,

On January 30, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, or the P5, held a formal P5 Conference in Beijing. At the Conference, the P5 had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on nuclear polices and doctrines, nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation as well as other issues, and reaffirmed their commitments to jointly fulfilling the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, safeguarding the NPT regime, and enhancing coordination and dialogue among themselves. China, in its capacity of the coordinator of the P5 process, briefed the progress achieved at the P5 Beijing Conference at the first session of the Conference on Disarmament(CD) for the first time ever. Recently, the P5 conducted a new round of dialogue with members of the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Initiative(NPDI).

The P5 Working Group on the Glossary of Key Nuclear Terms led by China, held its first meeting of the second phase of work in Beijing in February, which came up with positive progress. The P5 is committed to submitting new outcome of the Working Group, building upon the P5 Glossary of Key Nuclear Terms submitted to the 2015 NPT Review Conference, to the 2020 NPT Review Conference. The relevant discussions among the P5 constitute a kind of important transparency measure in terms of enhancing mutual understanding and trust, as well as reducing misunderstanding and miscalculation.

China has submitted to this PrepCom its National Report on the Implementation of the NPT, which contains a comprehensive description of China's achievements in honoring its NPT commitments. As a practical measure taken by China in promoting progress in the NPT review process, this reflects China's firm political support for the Treaty.

China will continue to play an active and constructive role in enhancing unity and cooperation of the international community, advancing the common cause of nuclear disarmament, and promoting international peace and stability.

The Chinese Delegation has submitted a working paper on nuclear disarmament issue, and we hope that elements contained therein will be duly reflected in the report of the Preparatory Committee.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.