International Meeting: Session 1
2002 World Conference against A & H Bombs
Wu Kesheng
Program Organizer
Chinese Peoplefs Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD)
Dear and respected Chairman of the Steering Committee;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Today, I have a great honor to attend this 2002 World Conference against A
& H Bombs. First of all, Please allow me on behalf of the peace workers
from the Chinese Peoplefs Association for Peace and Disarmament to express
warm regards to the those who had so much sufferings from the nuclear bombs
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as to the Hibakusha present today.
The theme of this yearfs conference is gWorking Together for a Peaceful and
Promising World without Nuclear Weaponsh. I personally believe that the theme
is well-chosen, and forward-looking, a very important topic facing up the
international community, and carries important guidance for the us to push
the world to develop in the new century. I wish to make a few comments and
to share them with the participants.
We in the 21century are looking to both hard-earn opportunities and
stern challenges so the opportunities and challenges are standing side by
side. Since the end of the Cold War, especially since the entry into the new
century, peace and development are still the main theme of our time in spite
of profound changes of the international situation. It is a trend of epoch
significance that the world needs peace, the people need cooperation, the
countries need development and the society needs progress. In the last century,
mankind experienced two hot world wars and one cold war, which produced untold
loss of life and property and left behind huge wounds and grieve lesson. So
the Chinese people, the Japanese people, the people of the entire world hate
to see reoccurrence of hot wars or cold war or even conflicts in any part
of the world, long for maintaining endurable peace, promoting common development,
living stable and tranquil life so as to build a promising future for ourselves.
Even though the basic trend for development of the international situation
in a period to come is characterized by overall peace with local wars, overall
relaxation with local tension, and overall stability with local chaos. However,
the irrational and unjust international political and economic order remains
unchanged, the gap between the North and the South is even broadening, conflicts
and disputes caused by ethnic, religious territorial problems are emerging
one after another, and the non-traditional security problems such a as terrorism,
poverty, environmental deterioration, and drug smuggling are also constituting
stern threats to the international community. It should call our attention
that in recent years a host of international events mark the profound changes
in international situation since the end of the Cold War, which demand our
deep though and exploration for ways of solution.
I am from China, a war-torn country in the past, so I know from the bottom
of my heart that people having experienced sufferings in wars treasure peace
even more, and I believe peace is the fundamental guarantee for economic prosperity.
Therefore, Chinese government follows the independent foreign policy of peace,
takes a lead in proposing and promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,
strictly keeps its solemn commitment on neither joining any military blocs,
nor seeking sphere of influence, nor becoming a superpower ever, and is making
every effort to advance the regional and global peace and security, so China
has been a staunch force for the regional and global peace.
Friends, and participants;
Continuous advancement of world peace and maintenance of global strategic
balance are closed related. Only the continuing consolidation, development
of the progress achieved in the course of arms control and disarmament, and
stopping introducing weapons or weapons systems in to the outer space can
help to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, then promote
their complete prohibition and thorough destruction.
In order to materialize the complete prohibition and thorough destruction
of weapons of mass destruction, I have a view that a brand new concept of
security should be established and abandon the outdated concept of security
based on reinforcing military alliances and armaments. Therefore, I consider
it helpful to make the following explorations;
First, a new concept of security based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality
and cooperation should be built, and disputes between nations should be resolved
through dialogue and cooperation, and to create a environment that
all countries enjoy genuine security for All. The world would not enjoy peace
without the genuine security for the vast majority of countries.
Second, The international nuclear non-proliferation efforts benefit from progress
in arms control and disarmament. The Cold War mindset must be abandoned
in order to promote arms control and nuclear disarmament. However, abandoning
the Cold War mindset is not to abrogate arms control treaties concluded in
that period. Instead, it is to move beyond the concept that based national
security on unilateral military advantage. Furthermore, it is necessary to
abandon the deterrence policy based on the first use of nuclear weapons and
the policy to lower the nuclear threshold against other states. The role of
nuclear weapons should be less, not more. Those nuclear disarmament measures
proven to be effective in the past should be maintained so as to ensure a
verifiable and irreversible nuclear disarmament process.
Third, global arms control and disarmament cooperation should be strengthened.
Unilateralism and approach of expediency in the field of arms control, disarmament
and non-proliferation must be discarded. We are against employing arms
control and disarmament as a tool for the strong to control the small and
the weak, or as a means to optimize onefs military buildup so as to obtain
unilateral superiority. Even less should we allow ensuring the absolute
security at the expense of the security of others. If common understanding
is found on these aspects, the confidence, trust and political will of common
endeavor among States will be restored, and the global arms control and disarmament
process will break out the current standstill and be back on the right track.
Now, Ifd like to give a briefing on Chinafs policy on arms control, disarmament
and non-proliferation as I know. 1. China always advocates the comprehensive
prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. Since the first
day when it came into possession of nuclear weapons, China has unilaterally
undertaken no first use of nuclear weapons anytime and under any circumstances,
and unconditionally committed itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear
weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.
2, China have always exercised the utmost restraint in the development of
nuclear weapons, and will continue to do so. 3. China has no intention
to threaten any countryfs security, nor will it be party to any arms race.
4. For a period of time, Chinafs position on missile defense has attracted
wide attention. I would like to emphasize that Chinese position on the
US development of missile defense systems is out of the concern for global
strategic stability and the international arms control process.
As far as I know that China has actively supported international arms control
and disarmament treaties, the multilateral arms control and disarmament process,
and international non-proliferation efforts and consistently calls for broad
participation of the international community in establishing and strengthening
multilateral non-proliferation regimes. 1. China is firmly committed to the
NPT and is playing a constructive role in the PrepCom. Several months ago,
the Chinese Government notified the IAEA that it has completed the legal procedure
to implement the ¡93+2¡} Protocol aimed at strengthening the
IAEA safeguard system. The protocol has entered into force for China since
March 28. 2. China supports the effective implementation of the CWC
and the smooth functioning of the OPCW. We call for the resumption of
the multilateral process to work out ways to enhance the effectiveness of
and ensure compliance with the BWC. 3.The Chinese Government is working
towards the early ratification of the CTBT. 4. China has always supported
the early conclusion of FMCT and hopes that the Conference on Disarmament
in Geneva will soon get into substantive work on PAROS, FMCT, nuclear disarmament
and security assurances under an agreed and balanced agenda. In accordance
with its treaty obligations and current international practices, the Chinese
Government in recent years has been improving its export controls on sensitive
items and technologies in nuclear, biological and chemical fields. 5.China
does not help any country develop ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver
WMDs, and is intensifying efforts to put in place an export control
list on missiles and missile technology.
I believe that since human kind has the capability to develop nuclear weapons,
it also has the wisdom to eliminate the threat to itself. With the enthusiasm
of the Japanese peace campaign, so long as people of the world longing for
peace and opposing nuclear weapons make unremitting efforts, we shall finally
greet the arrival of the a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.
Thank you!