China calls for joint efforts to advance nuclear disarmament

Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-10-09

United Nations General Assembly hall in New York City. (Internet Photo)

Chinese ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Wu Haitao here on Tuesday called on the international community to advance nuclear disarmament in a step- by-step manner.

"Some progress has been made in the nuclear disarmament process, but the continuous and further promotion and eventual attainment of a nuclear-weapon-free world remains an arduous task," Wu told a meeting of the First Committee of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly.

The UNGA's First Committee deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.

"Nuclear proliferation issues are still prominent," Wu said, adding that the international community should make joint efforts to further promote the process of disarmament.

In doing so, countries should first advance nuclear disarmament in a step-by-step manner and reduce proliferation risks comprehensively, he noted.

"Nuclear-weapon states should abandon the nuclear deterrence doctrine based on the first use of nuclear weapons and make an unequivocal commitment of no-first-use of and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, negotiate and conclude a legally-binding international instrument in this regard at an early date," said the Chinese ambassador.

According to him, countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should continue to take the lead in making drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, Wu noted, other nuclear-weapon states should also join the multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament when conditions are ripe.

"Nuclear disarmament should stick to the principles of maintaining global strategic balance and stability and undiminished security for all," he said.

In this regard, the development of missile defense systems that undermine global strategic balance and stability should be abandoned, he added.

Wu went on to say that China has always stood for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.

"China is firmly committed to its nuclear strategy of self- defense and has adhered to the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances," he said.

In his speech, Wu also stressed that dialogue and negotiation are the only right way to resolve regional nuclear issues.

"For the Iranian nuclear issue, parties concerned should step up diplomatic efforts, promote the dialogue process between P5+1 and Iran to make early progress, so as to create conditions for a comprehensive, long-term and appropriate solution," said the ambassador.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, according to Wu, China believes that the six-party talks remain a pragmatic and effective mechanism to push forward denuclearization of the Peninsula and maintain peace and stability there.

"China is ready to work together with parties concerned and make unremitting efforts to relaunch the six-party talks without delay and realize the denuclearization of the Peninsula and lasting peace and stability on the Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large," he said.

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