CNS Programs: EANP Conference

On 20-21 July 2004, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies and the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association co-sponsored the Fifth U.S.-China Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation Conference at Huafeng Hotel in Beijing, China.

The 60-participant conference was a Track 1½ effort that included senior officials from the two governments and scholars/researchers from universities and nongovernmental organizations. Inaugurated in September 1998 in Beijing and subsequently held alternately in Monterey and Washington, D.C., this unique conference series has provided invaluable forums for stimulating frank dialogue, building a network of communities of U.S. and Chinese arms control specialists as well as officials, and promoting common interests of arms control and nonproliferation. This year's conference was no exception. It exceeded all expectations in the quality of presentations and discussions.

Ambassador Li Daoyu, President of CACDA and China's former Ambassador to the United Nations and the U.S. and Dr. William Potter, Director of Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies gave the opening remarks. Zhang Yesui, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister gave a keynote speech. He identified three major challenges the world is facing - non-traditional security issues such as diseases as well as emerging global terrorism; regional conflicts; and economic disparity. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the international arms control and nonproliferation regime, the need to continue the treaty-making processes, treaty implementation, and improvement in compliance and verification through greater international cooperation. China and the United States as two major powers should seek to expand areas of cooperation for making their contributions to international arms control and nonproliferation efforts.

The heads of the U.S. and Chinese delegations, respectively, were Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation Susan Burk and Liu Jieyi, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More than 50 U.S. and Chinese participants attended the conference. U.S. participants included officials from the Department of State, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and the National Defense University. They also included scholars or researchers from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the University of Georgia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as the Stimson Center. Chinese participants and observers included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs, and Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and scholars from the China Academy of Social Sciences, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of International Studies, China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, China Defense Science and Technology Information Center, and the Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics.

The conference was noteworthy for the presence of very senior and experienced former diplomats, bright young action officers from key government departments, seasoned analysts and promising young scholars from non-government institutions. The Chinese delegation, for instance, was composed of two former Chinese ambassadors, a general from the People's Liberation Army, two directors-general in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the director of the recently established Office of the Korean Peninsular Affairs within the MFA. The combination of young action officers working on current issues with seasoned diplomats provided a powerful and effective intellectual atmosphere. Also of note was the presence of a large contingent of observers from the Ministry of National Defense.

This conference was especially well-covered by the Chinese national, local, and Hong Kong mass media. Several of the participants on both sides were interviewed in depth by TV stations and the results were full reports rather than just short news clips. Dr. William Potter, CNS Director was interviewed by the Chinese Central TV's English channel and other news media. Two young American participants, from MIIS and MIT, were even interviewed at length in Chinese by a Chinese central TV channel.

While previous conferences devoted considerable time to identifying contentious issues, ranging from ballistic missile defenses to alternative approaches to arms control and nonproliferation, and stipulating the two governments' official positions, this year's conference focused on practical steps to promote U.S.-China cooperation on arms control and nonproliferation in both multilateral and bilateral contexts, particularly in the areas of the Korean Peninsular de-nuclearization and export controls. The central task for the participants was to consider the international environment, current U.S.-China bilateral relations, challenges to nonproliferation regimes and processes, and then to offer creative ideas for future cooperation between the two countries.

The conference was organized into four sessions focusing, respectively on, (1) building a framework for Sino-U.S. strategic and security relationships; (2) challenges and approaches to the international nonproliferation regime; (3) Sino-U.S. cooperation in the field of nonproliferation; and (4) the future direction of multilateral arms control. Participants agreed that bilateral relations have improved since the second half of 2001 and the two countries have cooperated on a range of issues from multilateral arms control and nonproliferation to anti-terrorism, to efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The two sides agreed that in the new era of strategic terrorism and serious challenges to the basic concept of nonproliferation regimes the security of nations, the region and even the world is under significant threat. In the new security environment, the need for new visions to develop a framework on a solid foundation is of critical importance.

The next three sessions identified specific challenges, particularly in the areas of export controls and the Korean Peninsula, and different approaches to dealing with these challenges. Participants discussed the validity and limitation of existing international regimes, the utility and contention of recent nonproliferation initiatives such the Proliferation Security Initiative, and continuing (and perhaps growing) salience of multilateral export control cooperation and effective national export control systems. Chinese participants described recent developments in China's export control regulations and enforcement and the specific measures proposed and implemented to promote its emerging national export control system. Clearly, closer regional cooperation in outreach, education, and enforcement is needed and should be promoted. Conference participants also began the process of identifying specific ideas for future cooperation in the field of nonproliferation. The U.S.-Soviet/Russian experiences were discussed, as were their potentials as models for future U.S.-China cooperation in this area. One of key lessons during the cold war was that despite the vicissitude of the bilateral relationship, Washington and Moscow remained steadfast in continued exchanges, negotiations, and the development of mechanisms in the area of arms control. Finally, the last session compared the value of unilateral, bilateral, and multi-lateral approaches to nonproliferation issues. Director-General Liu and Acting Assistant Secretary Burk gave concluding remarks and summarized the consensus reached at the conference, the remaining issues and debates, and direction for future discussion and cooperation. Overall, the conference was deemed a great learning experience by all the participants. Not only was each side exposed to sensitivities of the other side, each of the participants came away with a new depth of knowledge. As Acting Assistant Secretary Susan Burk remarked: "this conference displayed a remarkably smooth flow and professional approach to some of the world's most dangerous challenges."

CACDA and China's General Administration of Customs organized a trip to Tianjin where a number of U.S. participants were introduced to the role and function of the Chinese customs in interpreting and implementing the country's export control regulations. U.S. guests were also given a tour of the license application review and processing center and an X-ray facility that screens cargoes for contents.