China, as a party to the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), "has always
adopted a serious and responsible attitude towards preventing the
proliferation of nuclear weapons," and "China never engages in and
resolutely opposes the proliferation of nuclear weapons in any
form," a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday.
The statement was contained in a speech by Hu Xiaodi, head of the
Chinese delegation to the first session of the Preparatory
Committee for the 2005 NPT Review Conference, which opened on
Monday morning.
"To fulfill efficiently its nonproliferation obligations, China
has, on the one hand, sped up nuclear export control legislation
and regime," he said. "China also exercises a monopolizing and
licensing system of nuclear export."
The Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Nuclear
Material Control, the Regulations of the People's Republic of China
on Nuclear Export Control and the Regulations of the People' s
Republic of China on the Control of Nuclear Dual-Use Items and
Related Technologies were issued in 1987, 1997 and 1998
respectively.
"I
also would like to take this opportunity to announce that China has
completed the domestic legal procedures for the Protocol Additional
to the Safeguards Agreement to enter into force," he said,
China formally notified the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) of the matter on March 28, and as of that day, the
Additional Protocol has become effective in China, he said. "China
is the first among the five Nuclear Weapon States to do so. This
fully reflects China's positive and responsible attitude towards
strengthening the effectiveness of the safeguards regime and
fulfilling her nonproliferation obligations."
After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, "the
prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation and nuclear terror has
become even more important and urgent," he said. "China supports
IAEA to step up efforts in this regard."
"China will, based on agreement reached by all parties, make her
contribution to the strengthened international efforts in nuclear
nonproliferation and nuclear anti-terror," he said.
"As a nuclear weapon State, China has never shied away from her
responsibility in nuclear disarmament," he said. "China has, with
her own action, made unique contribution to international nuclear
disarmament."
"China consistently advocates a complete prohibition and thorough
destruction of nuclear weapons," he said. "China has, ever since
coming into possession of nuclear weapons, undertaken
unconditionally not to be the first to use nuclear weapons and not
to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear
weapons States or nuclear-weapon-free zones."
"China has along urged all Nuclear Weapon States to confirm the
aforementioned commitment in legal form." he said. "China has
always exercised utmost restraint towards developing nuclear
weapons, kept her nuclear arsenal at the minimum level for
self-defense."
"China has never been in any nuclear arms race, nor has it deployed
any nuclear weapons outside of China," he said. "China firmly
believes that comprehensively banning nuclear test explosions is an
important step in the process towards the complete prohibition and
thorough destruction of nuclear weapons."
The NPT, which entered into force in 1970 and extended indefinitely
in 1990, requires that review conference be held every five year.
The treaty, which has a total of 187 State parties, is regarded as
the cornerstone of the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.
(China
Daily April 9, 2002)