China calls for viable plan for complete nuclear disarmament

(Xinhua)

08:16, October 08, 2011

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday called on the international community to develop a "viable long-term plan" in order to attain the goal of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament.

Chinese disarmament ambassador Wang Qun made the call when addressing the open debate of the First Committee of the 66th session of the General Assembly.

Wang said nuclear disarmament should follow the principle of global strategic stability and undiminished security for all.

"To attain the ultimate goal of complete and thorough nuclear disarmament, the international community should develop, at an appropriate time, a viable long-term plan composed of phased actions, including the conclusion of a negotiated convention of the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons," he said.

China also hoped for an early reactivation of the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korea Peninsular, and an early resumption of Iranian nuclear dialogue, Wang added.

China attributed the deadlock of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to primarily political factors. Therefore, enhanced political trust, right perception and methodology as well as an objective- and purpose-driven approach should be upheld before embarking on any exercise.

Wang noted that the CD is the only viable forum to negotiate and conclude a Fissil Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) with the participation of all relevant parties. "All parties should now, on the basis of this year's effective work, zero in on how to further strengthen the CD with the objective of reactivating all CD's substantive work, including negotiation of a FMCT," he said.

Regarding security threats on information and cyber-space, Wang said preventive diplomacy should be pursued to prevent cyber-space and outer space to be turned into a new battlefield.

"The pressing task before the international community now is how to, through formulation of international norms and rules, promote and guide states towards adoption of responsible behavior in information and cyber-space, effective management of cyber- space and proper maintenance of cyber-space security and order, coupled with intensified international cooperation," he said.

China has joined Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as co- sponsors and submitted a draft "International Code of Conduct on Information Security" to the 66th session of the General Assembly.

"It is our hope that the international community will, on the basis of the above draft, enter into open, transparent and democratic deliberations, within the framework of the United Nations, with the objective of reaching early consensus on the relevant code of conduct, so as to safeguard the common interests of all parties in this field, and to ensure that information and cyber-space will be used to better promote international peace, security and stability as well as the well-being of mankind," Wang said.

China also believed that transparency and confidence-building measures are not at odds with efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space, and such measures are useful supplement to the legal instrument on prevention of an arms race in outer space.

"China, for its part, stands ready to join all other parties in in-depth deliberation of the relevant initiatives and related issues at the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on outer space transparency and confidence-building measures to be established next year," Wang said.

On arms control in the fields of biological and conventional weapons, China attached great importance to the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) to be held in December this year. "We will work together with all other parties to further strengthen the authority, effectiveness and universality of the BWC," Wang said.

"China subscribes itself to international efforts to adopt proper measures to regulate relevant arms trade and combat illicit arms trafficking," he said. "The negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) should proceed step by step and in an open, transparent and consensual manner," Wang urged.

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