New York, 6 May 2009

Mr. Chairman,

The complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and elimination of the threat of nuclear war is the common aspiration of the international society. China is pleased to note that since the beginning of this round of review process, the call for the realization of a nuclear- weapon-free world has enjoyed broad support and response. This has been in conformity with China's longstanding position of the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Chairman,

The thirteen practical steps on nuclear disarmament which were adopted in the 2000 Review Conference are still of great relevance. These principles, including "maintaining international strategic balance and stability" and "undiminished security for all" are conducive to realizing the goal of nuclear disarmament.

China advocates that the international society should continue to make the following efforts to promote the nuclear disarmament process.

1. To foster a cooperative and stable international security environment, and promote global strategic stability, in order to lay a good foundation for the advancement of nuclear disarmament.

2. All nuclear-weapon states should commit themselves unequivocally to complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. In this respect, they should negotiate and conclude an international legal instrument at an early date.

3. Nuclear disarmament should abide by the principle of fairness, justice, gradual reduction and downward balance. The related measures should be guided by the principles of "promoting international strategic balance and stability" and "undiminished security for all".

4. Two countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament. They should implement the current nuclear weapons reduction treaties in good faith and further cut their nuclear arsenals drastically in a verifiable and irreversible manner, in order to create conditions for the ultimate comprehensive and thorough nuclear disarmament. In this regard, China welcomes the launch of negotiations on a new bilateral nuclear disarmament treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation.

5. Pending the achievement of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, the most realistic intermediate nuclear disarmament measures are for nuclear-weapon states to undertake unequivocally not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones unconditionally, and conclude an international legal instrument in this respect.

6. To reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy, abandon the nuclear deterrent policy based on the first use of nuclear weapons as well as the policy of reducing the threshold to use nuclear weapons.

7. To stop research and development of new types of nuclear weapons.

8. All reduced nuclear weapons shall be destroyed.

9. Do not target any nuclear weapons against any other countries, and do not list any other countries as nuclear strike targets.

10. Those countries that have deployed nuclear weapons abroad should withdraw all their nuclear weapons to their own territories, and forfeit the practice of nuclear umbrella and nuclear sharing policy.

It should be pointed out that the global ballistic missile defense program will undermine international strategic balance and stability. It is detrimental to international and regional security, as well as the nuclear disarmament process. Meanwhile, the prevention of an arms race in outer space and nuclear disarmament efforts are mutually reinforcing. The progress in the field of PAROS is not only conducive to preserving security in outer space, but also to the promotion of strategic mutual trust among different countries, thus will create favorable conditions for the advancement of nuclear disarmament. In this respect, China advocates that the Conference on Disarmament shall negotiate and conclude at an early date a treaty on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space, and prohibition of threat or use of force against outer space objects.

China believes that we should reach consensus on above mentioned measures in the next year's Review Conference.

Mr. Chairman,

China has long actively supported international nuclear disarmament efforts, fulfilled its nuclear disarmament obligations in good faith, and make important contributions in its own way to promote nuclear disarmament.

1. China is firmly committed to the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. China also undertakes unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.

2. China adheres to a self-defensive nuclear strategy. China never and will not ever participate in nuclear arms race. China has never deployed nuclear weapons in any other countries.

3. China supports the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and will continue to make efforts to this ends. China will maintain its moratorium on nuclear tests. China actively supports and takes part in the preparatory work of the CTBTO. China has completed the building of eighty percent of its CTBTO stations. China's National Data Center has been connected to the international Data Center. China will hold an international NDC seminar with CTBTO in Beijing this month.

4. China supports the negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral, effectively and internationally verifiable Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty. The Conference on Disarmament should start FMCT negotiations at an early date on the basis of an agreed Programme of Work.

5. China has signed and ratified relevant Protocols of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, and the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty. China has reached consensus with ASEAN on the issues concerning the protocol of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone, and is willing to sign the protocol when it is open for signature. China supports the efforts of the five Central Asian countries to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region and welcomes the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.