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Statement by Ambassador Hu Xiaodi at the General Debate of the First Committee of the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

2005-10-04 00:00

Mr. Chairman,

First of all, please allow me to congratulate you on your election to the Chairmanship of the First Committee of this session of the United Nations General Assembly. With your rich experience and outstanding diplomatic skills, you will surely guide this session of the Committee to a success. You and other members of the Bureau can rest assured of full cooperation and support of the Chinese delegation. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to H.E. Ambassador De Alba of Mexico, for his excellent work as the Chairman of the Committee of the last session.

Mr. Chairman,

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-Fascist war as well as the founding of the United Nations. Reviewing the history of that war written by blood and fire, remembering the solemn moment when the United Nations was founded, and recalling the process undertaken by the international community to achieve peace and development over the past 6 decades which is full of twists and turns, we sincerely feel that peace is the fundamental precondition for human society to realize its goal of development and it can only be achieved through the joint efforts and mutual cooperation of people of all countries.

The current international situation has been stable on the whole and the tide of the times for pursuing peace, seeking cooperation and promoting development has been irresistible. The trend of multi-polar world with economic globalization is developing in depth, and science and technology are advancing by leaps and bounds. Exchanges and cooperation as well as the interdependence among countries have been constantly enhanced. Factors for maintaining peace and restraining war are increasing. Strengthening cooperation and pursuing common development has become the common choice of more and more countries. However, the world is far from tranquil as traditional security threats persist and non-traditional security threats keep cropping up. The intertwined traditional and non-traditional threats are still restraining human development and threatening world peace and security.

Human societies have never been so closely interconnected in interests and destinies as they are today. At this important historic period when both opportunities and challenges are presented, all countries should work together with great solidarity to seize the historic opportunities and address emerging global security threats.

Mr. Chairman,

As an important part of the international efforts to pursue peace and promote development, the international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation process is at a crucial juncture.

On the one hand, international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regime is still playing an important role in safeguarding world peace and stability. The majority of the multilateral arms control treaties have been implemented smoothly while further progress has been achieved in some areas. Multilateral efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention have been further promoted. Progress in the field of arms control involving humanitarianism has been remarkable. The international consensus has been constantly strengthened on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Resolution 1540 adopted by the UN Security Council is under implementation. Various initiatives to strengthen the non-proliferation regimes have been introduced. Political and diplomatic efforts have been continuously pursued to settle proliferation issues through dialogues and cooperation.

On the other hand, multilateral arms control and disarmament process is also faced with difficulties and challenges. There is still a long way to go in nuclear disarmament. The obsession with the Cold War mentality and the nuclear deterrence strategy based on the first use of nuclear weapons, as well as such developments as lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons and developing new nuclear weapons have increased new unstable factors in international security. The danger of weaponization of outer space is increasingly salient. The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva is still at a deadlock. The prospect for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is still blurry. Negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty and international instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space are yet to be launched. The Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) this year ended without substantive results. No consensus has been reached on the arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation language in the outcome document of the UN Summit. Multilateral arms control institutions are facing challenges. Some regional nuclear issues remain unsettled and the risks of acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups and other non-state entities are growing.

It is the common and imperative task of the international community to address these new threats and challenges, promote the healthy development of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation process and build a new century of peace, justice, democracy and prosperity. To this end, the following measures should be fully implemented:

Firstly, a new security concept centered on equality, mutual trust,mutual benefit and cooperation should be fostered. The world is like a big family where peaceful co-existence will lead to a win-win situation and mutual cooperation will result in common security. Countries should build trust among themselves in the security field and preserve regional and international security through mutually beneficial cooperation. The mentality of seeking security superiority through military power should be abandoned. Instead, disputes should be resolved through dialogues and stability be achieved through cooperation.

Secondly, the regime of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties should be firmly preserved. As an important part of the international security framework, this regime is indispensable to maintaining world peace and stability. Due to the diversification of threats and increase of unstable and unpredictable factors in the international security field, it is of more realistic importance to preserve and strengthen this regime.

Thirdly, the multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation efforts should be further strengthened. The role of nuclear weapons in national security shall be reduced and the international nuclear disarmament process should be promoted. In order to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, an integrated approach should be adopted to address both the symptoms and the root causes. Precautionary measures should be taken to earnestly prevent the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space. Further effective measures should be adopted to address the humanitarian concerns in the field of arms control.

Fourthly, problems in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation should be resolved through political and diplomatic means within the existing framework of international laws. Relevant measures should be conducive to safeguarding world peace and security. Contradictions and disputes should be properly resolved through negotiations, dialogues and cooperation instead of resorting to pressure, sanction or confrontation. A balance should be struck between arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation on the one hand and development on the other.

Fifthly, a path of multilateralism should be followed in achieving common security. In this regard, international cooperation should be strengthened and universal participation should be ensured. The history of the past 60 years has indicated that as the core of collective security mechanism and the key forum for implementing multilateralism, the United Nations has played an irreplaceable role in the international cooperation to ensure global security. Such a role can only be strengthened and must not in any way be weakened.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese nation loves peace and China is a responsible country in the international community. China has all along adopted a highly responsible attitude in the international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation field and taken practical measures to promote the international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation cause. An outstanding example of such efforts is that over the past three years, China has been actively promoted the Six Party talks in Beijing on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula. During the fourth round of the talks just concluded last month, the Six Parties achieved important consensus and released a Joint Statement. This symbolizes a significant step forward for the talks and is attributable to the political commitment and hard work of all parties involved. It also reflects the common aspiration of the international community. This result should be cherished with special care as it did not come by easily. We hope that all parties can continue to work together to move forward the process of the Six Party talks and seek a peaceful solution to this issue through dialogue so as to ensure long lasting peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and achieve common development and prosperity. The Chinese Government will continue to make active contributions to this end.

On September 1, the Chinese Government published a White Paper on China's Endeavors for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-proliferation, which fully elaborates on China's policies and relevant efforts in this field. The White Paper demonstrates that the policies and measures China has adopted in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation have been active, earnest and constructive. It also shows that China has always been an accountable and firm force in preserving world peace and promoting common development and international cooperation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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