As terror groups' access to weapons of mass destruction have
become more of a major threat to world security, China is teaming
up with other countries such as the United States to improve global
nonproliferation, said Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui.
Zhang was speaking at the opening ceremonies of a two-day Fifth
Sino-US Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and
Nonproliferation, which opened Tuesday in Beijing.
Zhang said China has already participated in the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) and is willing to join the Missile Technology Control
Regime (MTCR).
He said China has formulated and enacted a number of laws and
regulations that form a complete system for export controls on
nuclear, biological, chemical, delivery system and other sensitive
items and technologies.
In reviewing cooperation between China and the United States on
such issues as anti-terrorism, chemical and biological weapons,
mines and small weapons, Zhang noted that the Taiwan question is at
the core of Sino-US relations and also a most delicate one.
William Potter, director of the Center for Nonproliferation
Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said
the United States and China should work more closely in such areas
as conquering nuclear terrorism, which is a great threat to the
United States and most other countries, including China.
He suggested the two countries put additional effort into
strengthening the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and
promoting disarmament and nonproliferation education.
Liu Jieyi, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Arms
Control and Disarmament, said that despite the many common
interests of the US and China, the two still have several
differences, mainly concerning the means to reach their
nonproliferation goals.
"The preemptive strikes and maritime interception operations
that we have seen were not always in line with the goal to promote
international peace and security and did not always conform to
international law," said Liu.
Professor Pan Zhenqiang, of the National Defense University,
said force can be abused if military actions are not approved by
the United Nations.
"In some extreme circumstances, it is possibly necessary to use
force, but the act must be authorized by the Security Council,"
said Pan. "China and the United States have identical
nonproliferation goals. But unilateral measures might trigger more
problems rather than solving them. I think the two countries need
talks on this matter. Moreover, disarmament by nuclear powers
should be pushed forward along with horizontal
non-proliferation."
The conference, co-organized by the China Arms Control and
Disarmament Association and the Monterey Institute of International
Studies, is the fifth in a series held between the arms control
communities in the United States and China since 1998.
The representative for the American side is Acting Assistant
Secretary of State Susan Burk.
(China Daily July 21, 2004)