Chair,

The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The scientific and technological revolution is gathering momentum, the security landscape is complex and severe, and the North-South gap continues to widen. In this context, to completely eliminate the threat of biological and chemical weapons and ensure the safe and peaceful use of biological and chemical technologies are urgent tasks within the framework of the Biological Weapons Convention(BWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention(CWC).

Upholding the vision of building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity and guided by the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative put forward by President XI Jinping, China will continue to promote the comprehensive, balanced and effective implementation of the BWC and the CWC.

The Biological Weapons Convention is the cornerstone of the global biosafety and biosecurity system. For more than 50 years since its entry into force, the BWC has made important contributions to the maintenance of world peace and security. The tenth Review Conference of the BWC will be held next year. It is essential for the Working Group on Strengthening the Convention to agree on a final report by consensus, which would be of great significance for global biosafety and biosecurity and the future development of the Convention. China supports the Working Group to continue in-depth discussions, bridge differences and develop, as soon as possible, a package of arrangements including compliance and verification, international cooperation and assistance, and scientific and technological development, etc., with a view to strengthening the Convention comprehensively and ensuring the equal participation and benefits for all States Parties. China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.

China supports efforts to improve and develop the rules of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical, Biological and Toxin Weapons(UNSGM) in the context of changes in the security situation, technological developments and United Nations reform initiatives. China therefore has participated in the Joint Statement of Russia and other states.

Chair,

With the complete destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles, Japanese abandoned chemical weapons in China(JACWs) have become the greatest real obstacle to the realization of “A World Free of Chemical Weapons” under the CWC. The destruction of JACWs must be a top priority for the implementation of the CWC. This year marks the 81st anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trial, but destruction of JACWs in China have yet to be completed. To date, JACWs have been discovered at more than 200 sites across 18 provinces in China. Nearly 190,000 such weapons have been excavated and recovered, with over 160,000 destroyed as of this time. Japan was obligated to complete the destruction of all JACWs within 10 years following the entry into force of the CWC, namely, by 2007. However, due to insufficient attention and inadequate input from the Japanese side, as well as its failure to provide effective clues and information, the full scope of the burial chemical weapons remains unclear, slowing down the progress of excavation and recover, and resulting in a serious delay in the destruction process. The destruction plan adopted by OPCW has suffered four extensions of deadlines, in 2007, 2012, 2016 and 2022, and a fifth deadline extension now appears inevitable.

In early September this year, a delegation of the OPCW Executive Council and Director-General Sabrina Dallafior, visited the JACWs disposal facilities in Huichun, Haerbaling and Dunhua in China, and witnessed on site the real dangers of these weapons and the urgency of their destruction. We once again urge the Japanese side to face up to its historical culpability and fulfill its obligations under the CWC and to eliminate the JACWs at an early date. It is hoped that OPCW would devote more resources to the destruction of JACWs and that the international community will continue to monitor the destruction of the JACWs.

China advocates resolving chemical weapons-related hot spot issues through dialogue and consultation. The OPCW Technical Secretariat should carry out work strictly in accordance with the mandate of the CWC, to prevent the OPCW from being politicized. We support the OPCW Technical Secretariat, in cooperation with the Syrian Transitional Government, to investigate thoroughly the stockpile of toxic chemicals in Syria and complete its destruction as soon as possible.We must avoid accountability efforts exceeding the Convention's mandate from once again causing division and confrontation among States Parties. Syria should respond to the international community's counter-terrorism concerns, combat United Nations-listed terrorist organizations, including East Jerusalem,and prevent the proliferation of toxic chemicals.

Chair,

Artificial intelligence(AI) and biological and chemical technologies keep evolving and converging, with an increased risk of misuse and a lower threshold of terrorist attacks. To that end, all states should actively address the challenges posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, improve security governance in the biological and chemical weapons domain, and enhance the capacity for monitoring and responding to safety risks. In September this year, China and the OPCW jointly held the 2nd International Workshop on AI and Chemical Safety and Security Management, open primarily to participants from the Global South, which received wide appreciation. China stands ready to continue sharing its experience in AI development and governance, and so as to assist developing countries in capacity building.

The peaceful uses of science and technology is the legitimate right of all countries and is vital for developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. However, it was regrettable that peaceful uses of science and technologies in developing countries are still facing undue restrictions. China calls on all states to implement the UNGA resolution “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security”, Article X of the BWC and Article XI of the CWC, in order to achieve the purposes and objectives of the above-mentioned conventions.

Thank you, Chair.