Full text of White Paper on Arms Control ,Xinhua Updated: 2005-09-01 11:21
II. China's Basic Policy and Position
China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, follows the road of
peaceful development, works hard to integrate the efforts to safeguard its own
national interests and promote common interests of all countries, and strives
for a constructive role in international affairs.
In the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, China
follows the new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit,
equality and coordination, and commits itself to creating a favorable
international and regional security environment, maintaining world peace and
promoting common development.
In handling affairs related to international arms control, disarmament and
non-proliferation, the Chinese government always bases its policy-making on the
judgment whether it serves to safeguard national sovereignty and security,
whether it serves to maintain global strategic stability and whether it serves
to promote security for all and mutual trust among countries.
Complete Prohibition and Thorough Destruction of WMD
It is the shared aspiration of the international community as well as the
goal of China to thoroughly destroy nuclear weapons and free the world from such
weapons.
The end of the Cold War and the new security situation have made possible the
substantial reduction of nuclear weapons, and then complete prohibition and
thorough destruction of such weapons. Pushing forward nuclear disarmament
process is of great significance to reducing the danger of nuclear
proliferation, improving international security environment and promoting world
peace and development.
China maintains that nuclear-weapon states should take the following measures
to further promote nuclear disarmament process.
* An international legal instrument on the complete prohibition and thorough
destruction of nuclear weapons should be concluded at an early date.
* Nuclear disarmament should be a just and reasonable process of gradual
reduction toward a downward balance. The two countries possessing the largest
nuclear arsenals bear special and primary responsibilities for nuclear
disarmament. They should earnestly comply with the treaties already concluded on
reduction of nuclear weapons and further reduce their nuclear arsenals in a
verifiable and irreversible manner so as to create conditions for achieving the
ultimate goal of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament.
* Before the goal of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear
weapons is achieved, nuclear-weapon states should commit themselves to no first
use of nuclear weapons and undertake unconditionally not to use or threaten to
use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free
zones.
* Nuclear-weapon states should abandon the policies of nuclear deterrence
based on the first use of nuclear weapons and reduce the role of nuclear weapons
in their national security.
* Nuclear disarmament measures, including intermediate measures, should
follow the guidelines of maintaining global strategic balance and stability and
undiminished security for all.
* The CD should reach an agreement on program of work soon so as to begin at
an early date negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) and to
establish Ad Hoc Committees and start substantive work on such issues as nuclear
disarmament and security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon states.
China stands for complete prohibition and thorough destruction of biological
and chemical weapons and firmly opposes proliferation of such weapons.
Against the backdrop of increased threat of bio-terrorism and prominence of
bio-security issue, it is of great realistic significance to continue to explore
and formulate measures to strengthen the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons
Convention (BWC) under the framework of this Convention. China holds that the
international community should take the following actions.
* Encourage more countries to accede to the BWC and urge all its States
Parties to fulfill their obligations in a comprehensive and faithful manner.
* Maintain and facilitate the multilateral process aimed at enhancing the
effectiveness of the BWC and explore and formulate concrete measures through
full consultations.
* Encourage more countries to submit to the UN declarations on
confidence-building measures regarding the BWC.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is the first international legal
instrument for complete prohibition and thorough destruction of a whole category
of WMD with strict verification mechanism. It has set a successful example for
multilateral arms control and non-proliferation efforts. To ensure full
implementation of the CWC, China maintains:
* Chemical weapon possessors should double their efforts to complete the
destruction of their chemical weapons at an early date in strict accordance with
the CWC and subject themselves to effective supervision by the Organization for
the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
* It is imperative to further improve and optimize verification measures,
allocate inspection resources in a fair and equitable manner and improve its
cost-effectiveness.
* Continuously promote the universality of the CWC.
* The country concerned should fulfill its obligations under the Convention
and honor its commitments, start at an early date the substantive destruction
process for the chemical weapons it abandoned in China so as to destroy those
weapons completely and thoroughly as soon as possible.
Preventing the Proliferation of WMD and Their Means of Delivery
Proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery is conducive neither to
world peace and stability nor to China's security. China firmly opposes
proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery. China believes that
proliferation of WMD has complicated root causes. In order to prevent their
proliferation, an integrated approach must be adopted to address both the
symptoms and the root causes.
* All states should devote themselves to building a global security
environment of cooperation and mutual trust, seeking universal improvement of
international relations and achieving security for all. This is the best way to
eliminate the danger of proliferation as well as the prerequisite for a smooth
non-proliferation process.
* All states should resort to political and diplomatic means to solve the
proliferation problem. Non-proliferation means should help maintain and promote
international security. Proper solutions to proliferation issues should be
sought out through dialogue instead of confrontation, and through cooperation
instead of pressuring.
* Full scope should be given to the central role of the UN and other
international organizations. The existing non-proliferation mechanism should be
strengthened and improved under the framework of international law and on the
basis of equal and universal participation of all countries and democratic
decision-making.
* A balance should be struck between non-proliferation and peaceful uses. The
legitimate rights of each state to peaceful uses should be guaranteed while
proliferation activities under the pretext of peaceful uses be prevented.
Missile Defense
China views and handles missile defense issues from the perspective of
maintaining global strategic balance and stability and safeguarding regional
peace and security. China understands the security concerns of relevant
countries about the proliferation of ballistic missiles and their technology and
stands for political and diplomatic solution to this matter. Research,
development and deployment of missile defense systems are by no means an
effective way to solve the problem. China does not wish to see a missile defense
system produce negative impact on global strategic stability, bring new unstable
factors to international and regional peace and security, erode trust among big
powers, or undermine legitimate security interests of other countries. China is
even more reluctant to see some countries cooperate in the missile defense field
to further proliferate ballistic missile technology. China believes that
relevant countries should increase transparency in their missile defense program
for the purpose of deepening trust and dispelling misgivings.
As the Taiwan question involves its core interests, China opposes the attempt
by any country to provide help or protection to the Taiwan region of China in
the field of missile defense by any means.
Preventing Weaponization of and an Arms Race in Outer Space
Outer space is the common wealth of mankind. At present, the danger of
weaponization of outer space is increasing with each passing day. Taking weapons
into outer space will lead to an arms race there and make it a new arena for
military confrontation. Such a prospect is not in the interest of any country.
China has all along stood for peaceful use of outer space. The existing
international legal instruments on outer space cannot effectively prevent
weaponization of and an arms race in outer space. The international community
should take effective preventive measures, negotiate and conclude relevant
international legal instrument to prohibit deployment of weapons in outer space
and the threat or use of force against objects in outer space so as to ensure
that outer space is used purely for peaceful purposes.
Addressing Humanitarian Concerns in the Arms Control Field
China is committed to properly addressing humanitarian issues in the arms
control field. It holds that while humanitarian concerns are addressed, full
consideration should be given to the legitimate military security needs of
sovereign states as well as economic and technological capacities of all
countries. As the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) accommodates
both humanitarian concerns and legitimate military needs, all States Parties
should implement the CCW in good faith and constantly enrich and improve it if
situation requires.
Firmly combating illegal activities in the field of small arms and light
weapons (SALW) is of great importance to maintaining regional peace, stability
and development, fighting terrorism and cracking down upon such transnational
organized crimes as drug-trafficking and smuggling. China stands for greater
efforts at the national, regional and international levels to seek a
comprehensive solution in this regard.