Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to attend this international non-proliferation conference hosted by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  The issues addressed by this conference are all the more topical as we face new changes and challenges in the international non-proliferation situation.  I wish to take this opportunity to talk about the current non-proliferation situation and China’s policy.

Over the past year, the international situation has undergone profound and complex changes.  Peace and development continue to be the main theme of the times, but new challenges have come to the fore, bringing greater uncertainty and unpredictability to our security environment.  From both traditional and non-traditional security perspectives, the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery to world peace and stability is increasingly salient.  Therefore, it is an urgent task to effectively check such proliferation.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is detrimental not only to world peace and stability but also to China’s security.  The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China reaffirmed that development is the first priority for China and that the first two decades of the 21st century constitute a very important period of opportunity for China’s development.  As China becomes more developed, open and closely linked with the rest of the international community, the achievement of its development objectives will rest more on a long-term peaceful and stable international environment.  After years of common efforts by the international community, a relatively complete international non-proliferation regime has been put in place.  It has become an important component of the global security architecture.  China benefits from and is firmly committed to the international non-proliferation regime.  In the final analysis, to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is conducive to regional and global peace and development and serves the common interest of all countries, certainly China’s fundamental interest.

China has been firm, consistent and clear-cut in its policy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.  We have all along stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, and are firmly opposed to their proliferation.  We have steadfastly pursued a policy of not advocating, encouraging or assisting any other country in developing weapons of mass destruction.  This policy is not expediency, nor is there any selectivity in its application.

China has over the years actively participated in the establishment of the multilateral non-proliferation regime and has worked for its improvement.  To date, China has signed up to almost all the international legal instruments related to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.  China is a state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention.  China is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has voluntarily placed its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. China is also the first among the five nuclear-weapon states to have completed the legal procedures for the entry into force of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA.

At the national level, the Chinese Government has gone a long way in strengthening the legal framework for the export control of sensitive items.  Over the years, China has promulgated a series of laws and regulations and established a complete set of export control mechanisms, covering nuclear, biological, chemical and missile fields.  Recently, China promulgated the Regulations on Export Control of Missiles and Missile-related Items and Technologies and the Export Control List, the Regulations on the Export Control of Dual-Use Biological Products and Related Equipment and Technologies and the Administrative Rules on the Export Control of Relevant Chemicals and Related Equipment and Technologies and the amended Regulations on the Administration of Arms Export.  China’s non-proliferation policy has a sound legal foundation.

China’s current non-proliferation legal system has three main features.  First, it is comprehensive.  The regulations cover sensitive items, equipment and technology in nuclear, biological, chemical and missile fields, as well as military goods.  Secondly, it is in line with international practice.  Such mechanisms as the end-use and end-user guarantee system, licensing system, control list and “catch-all” principle have all been incorporated into China’s export controls in nuclear, biological, chemical, missile and other fields.  In terms of the scope of the control lists, China’s Nuclear Export Control List and Export Control List of Nuclear Dual-use Items and Related Technologies cover all the items, equipment and technology contained in the control lists of “Zangger Committee” and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).  In the biological and chemical fields, China’s lists cover all the items, equipment and technology contained in the control lists of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Australia Group.  In the missile field, China’s list is by and large identical with the MTCR Annex as regards the scope and parameters.  In a nutshell, China’s export controls in the above-mentioned areas are basically the same as those of the United States, EU and other countries in both scope and enforcement.  Thirdly, it is clearly defined and has teeth.  China has clearly defined the production, operation and export of sensitive items and the rights and obligations of the competent authorities, and has provided for punishment against breaches of relevant laws and regulations.

As a Chinese motto goes, do it well or not at all.  In the future, the Chinese Government will further strengthen the enforcement and public and corporate awareness of its non-proliferation policies and laws, so as to ensure their full implementation.  China will, in light of its own conditions and drawing upon the experience of other countries, further improve its export control system.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a complex and multi-faceted issue.  Its proper solution lies in political and diplomatic means and a comprehensive approach to address both the symptoms and root causes.  Countries have sufficient tools to address the symptoms.  But what about the larger environment?  What can we do to contribute to a non-proliferation-prone world?  It is of utmost importance to cultivate a culture of peace and cooperation throughout the world.  We should foster a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual-benefit, equality and cooperation.  Exclusion and confrontation should give way to tolerance and dialogue.  Progress in non-proliferation efforts would at best be slow in an international environment where countries feel insecure.

Progress in non-proliferation would be inconceivable without cooperation and universal participation by the international community.  Under the current situation, it is particularly important to preserve and strengthen the integrity and authority of the international arms control and non-proliferation system.  International law reflects the common will of the international community and regulates the behavior of countries.  International instruments on arms control and non-proliferation provide a legal basis for international non-proliferation efforts and place them on a just and reasonable premise.  They help to reduce discrimination and double standard.  Any damage to the existing system is detrimental to the international non-proliferation efforts and brings about immediate or potential adverse effects for international and regional peace and stability.  Non-proliferation efforts should promote, not hamper international cooperation in the peaceful uses of science and technology.  Only in this way can non-proliferation enjoy the widest possible support.

We must also not ignore the link between doctrines and non-proliferation.  An important factor for progress in international non-proliferation efforts is to decrease the dependence on nuclear weapons and to reduce their role in international relations and security strategies.  The five nuclear-weapon states bear special and unshirkable responsibility in this respect.  It does not make sense, morally or legally, to keep huge nuclear arsenals, to continue to develop new types of nuclear weapons, e.g., mini-nukes that can be more easily used in battlefields, to reserve the right to resume nuclear tests, and to target nuclear weapons on other countries, when global efforts for non-proliferation are advocated and reinforced.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear-weapon states, China and the U.S. share common obligations and interests in the non-proliferation area.  Over the years, the two countries have cooperated fruitfully on a series of non-proliferation issues.  Against the backdrop of increasing non-traditional security threats, China and the U.S. have much more to cooperate in the non-proliferation area.  It is true that differences do exist.  The key is how to address them.  China believes that differences should and can be settled in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust.  President Jiang Zemin’s highly successful visit to the U.S. has opened a new chapter in the Sino-US relationship.  The two countries have among other things decided to establish a consultation mechanism at the vice foreign minister’s level on issues of strategic security, multilateral arms control and non-proliferation.  I am convinced that through joint efforts, non-proliferation will be a positive factor in the healthy development of the Sino-US relations.  China stands ready to further enhance its cooperation with other countries in the area of non-proliferation.

The new century ushers in both opportunities and challenges.  Let us work together to meet these challenges and to contribute to the development and improvement of the international non-proliferation regime, and to international peace, stability and development.

Thank you.