Mr. President,

I wish to start by congratulating Japan on assuming the Council's presidency this month. I thank Guyana for steering the Council towards the successful conclusion of its work last month. 

China’s position on chemical weapons-related issues is consistent. We strongly oppose the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances. We hope our world will soon become one that is free from chemical weapons. I would like to share two observations on the Syrian chemical weapons issue.

First, dialogue and negotiation provide the only solution to this issue. We welcome the two recent rounds of technical consultations between the Syrian Government and the OPCW and the positive progress achieved on outstanding issues related to the initial declaration. We look forward to continuous constructive cooperation between the OPWC Technical Secretariat and the  Government of Syria on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation on an equal footing, so as to create conditions for the settlement of the Syrian chemical weapons issue.

Second, upholding the authority of the Chemical Weapons Convention is a fundamental guarantee for the settlement of this issue. It is imperative for the OPCW to comply with the requirements of the CWC and its verification annex, adhere to the principles of procedural compliance, reliable evidence, and credible conclusions in investigating and pursuing accountability for the alleged use of chemical weapons. A few countries, without prior consultations, forced through a vote on and adoption of a new decision on the Syrian chemical weapons issue at the Conference of the States Parties of the CWC, which China finds concerning. We call on all parties to return to the tradition of consensus building to genuinely maintain the authority and effectiveness of the Convention. We also hope the Director General and the Technical Secretariat can make tangible efforts to preserve the technical nature of the Organization.

Thank you, Mr. President.