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Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Statements by Ratifiers and Signatories to the CTBT

China

Mr. President,

First of all, I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of the Chinese Delegation, on your election to the Presidency of the first Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). I will assure you of my delegations active cooperation.

Mr. President,

CTBT was reached through arduous negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) with long-term painstaking efforts from the international community. CTBT is of epoch-making significance in international nuclear disarmament, as it not only represents a major step in mankinds endeavors towards the goal of the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, but also constitutes one of the important achievements registered on the front of international arms control and disarmament. Since its opening for signature, there have hitherto been 154 signatory states, among which, 45 have ratified the Treaty. This shows that the international community is supportive of and confident in the Treaty.

The Treaty Organization has come a long way over the past three years as it gets into the swing of its preparatory work. In this connection, I wish to take the opportunity to pay tribute to Dr. Wolfgang Hoffman, the first Executive Secretary of the Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Preparatory Commission, who had made important contributions to the Treaty during its negotiations. In addition, I also wish to pay my tribute to all those people who had contributed to the negotiation of the Treaty and the preparatory work of the Treaty Organization.

However, it is not without regret that we noticed the Treatys sluggish ratification process and the lack of universality in the participation by all parties in the Treaty Organizations preparatory work. Such a phenomenon is by no means isolated and its root causes merit our reflection.

H.E. Mr. Jiang Zemin, President of the Peoples Republic of China, as you may recall, made an important speech on 26 March 1999 at CD on disarmament and security issue and pointed out that nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament remained a primary task for the international community today and for a long time to come, and that progress in nuclear disarmament could not be achieved in the absence of a global strategic equilibrium and stability. In fact, the following series of negative developments recently undergone on the international scene fully attest to President Jiangs judgment.

First, the successive nuclear explosions in South Asia one and a half years ago. Such moves, in defiance of CTBT, dealt a heavy blow to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and nuclear disarmament process, and are, therefore, surely not something that the international community wishes to see.

Second, the decision by some countries to vigorously pursue national missile defense system (NMD) and theatre missile defense system (TMD) programmes aimed at their deployment. By so doing, they want to strengthen both their sword and shield in an attempt to gain their own absolute security in disregard of others security. Such a practice will inevitably bring severe damage to global and regional strategic balance and stability. This is surely not a gospel to those states which are positively considering to ratify CTBT.

Third, the wanton and indiscriminate bombing of a small and weak non-nuclear weapon state for 78 consecutive days by the worlds most powerful military bloc under the pretext of defending human rights. Such a move bypassed the Security Council of the United Nations, and is surely detriment to the international nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation endeavor.

So, the pernicious consequences flowing from the above developments have virtually already began and will continue to reveal themselves. They are, obvious enough, not helpful to the entry into force and the universality of CTBT.

Mr. President,

The above developments and their effects, I believe, are certainly not what this Conference expects. It is our sincere hope that the window of opportunity in arms control and disarmament opened in the wake of the relaxation of the international relations after the end of the Cold War will not be closed by some countries as a result of their irresponsible pursuit of Cold War mentality and hegemonism. It should be realized that disarmament can be promoted and international peace and security be increased only by giving up the old security concept based on military alliances and build-up of armaments and establishing a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. This, I believe, also represents the precondition and foundation for the early entry into force and the increasing universality of CTBT.

As it is not easy to come by to conclude a treaty as such, it, therefore, should, just as what is declared in its preamble, attract the adherence of all States so as to contribute to the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects and to the process of nuclear disarmament. However, the pace of its ratification is sluggish at present with the prospect of its entry into force becoming uncertain. China, as a signatory state, especially hopes that those which have not yet signed or/and ratified the Treaty will do so at an early date so as to contribute to the early entry into force of the Treaty.

Mr. President,

The key to the success of this Conference, I believe, lies in the convergence between the aim of participants and the provisions of the Treaty. What I wish to stress is that, under the terms of the Treaty, the sole object of this Conference is to accelerate the ratification process so as to promote its early entry into force. The final declaration and the follow-up actions of this Conference shall be in full conformity with such an aim. Any attempts to amend the entry into force article will be legally or practically undesirable.

I also wish to point out that under the terms of Article XIV of the Treaty, all the countries with nuclear capabilities shall be bound by the Treaty by ceasing any nuclear weapon test explosions. Such an article fully reflects the just demand and solemn commitments of the majority of non-nuclear-weapon states and states with nuclear capabilities, to the "comprehensive nuclear-test-ban", thus constituting the basis for the existence of the Treatys universality, credibility and vitality. It is, therefore, indispensable to the attainment of the purpose of the Treaty. That is the fundamental reason why we must uphold this Article.

Mr. President,

I also wish to take this opportunity to reiterate that China, as a responsible state, will continue to strictly abide by CTBT and actively support and participate in the preparatory work of the Treaty Organization. The Chinese Governments basic position on the Treaty remains unchanged. However, in view of the series of recent negative developments, China will, on the basis of conducting a full review of the Treaty per se and the international security environment, work to pick up the ratification process as soon as practically possible and continue to work to promote the Treatys entry into force.

The Chinese Delegation stands ready to enter into full cooperation with all the other parties so as to contribute to the success of this Conference.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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