Mr Chairperson,
At the outset, please allow me, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, to welcome you back to the Chair of the Council. Over the past year, under your guidance, the Council has made significant progress in various areas of its work. The Chinese delegation commends your diplomatic skills and rich experience, which have won wide-spread recognition from all sides, and looks forward to continued close cooperation with you.
Earlier today, H.E. Director-General Pfirter has delivered a comprehensive report to the Council with his consistent approach of dedication and responsibility. Mr Director-General, China is fully convinced that your efforts to facilitate the implementation of the Convention and the monitoring of chemical weapons destruction as well as your important contribution to promoting international peace and security will become an invaluable legacy in the history of chemical disarmament.
H.E. Ambassador Oscar de los Reyes Ramos of Cuba has once again made a comprehensive statement on behalf of the NAM States Parties and China. The key elements of this statement reflect the major concerns and views of a large number of developing countries. Associating itself fully with this statement, China hopes that due importance will be attached to these concerns and views.
Mr Chairperson,
Since the last session of the Council, the tasks of the OPCW for this year have been undertaken in an all-round and deep-going way. China has noted that more common understanding has been reached through consultations on important issues such as compliance with the final destruction deadlines, generally keeping a positive momentum. At the same time, however, there is still some way to go before we can reach the objectives set by the Second Review Conference and the last session of the Conference. Much remains to be done. We hope that States Parties, the Council and the Secretariat will act with an enhanced sense of urgency and work together more closely. In particular, it is imperative to speed up the major undertakings relating to the core objectives of the Convention, with a view to making greater progress. Now, in connection with the agenda items of this session, I would like to present China’s views in greater detail:
Firstly, all-out efforts should be made to facilitate, by further mobilising resources and strengthening cooperation between the possessor States and the Secretariat, the complete and thorough destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles by the prescribed deadline. With the ever closer final destruction deadline of 29 April 2012, possible failure to meet the deadline has given rise to wide-spread concerns. The timely completion of such destruction is a core objective of the Convention, bearing on its integrity and credibility. Given the present international security situation, it is all the more needed and urgent to accelerate destruction. China urges the possessor States concerned to further increase their input and overcome all difficulties in order to accelerate the destruction process and ensure timely completion of destruction. It is hoped that the Secretariat will, for this purpose, provide maximum support and all necessary resources. Consultations to address the eventuality that the final extended deadlines are not met should be carried out within the framework of the Convention and aimed at facilitating a timely completion of destruction.
China has taken note of the report by the Director-General on the progress made by the countries concerned in accelerating their destruction process. We believe this report will help assist the Council in better monitoring and assessing the destruction progress.
Secondly, with regard to the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China, we strongly hope that their substantive destruction will start at an early date and proceed forward. As China has underlined on many occasions, it is truly regretful that in the implementation of the Convention, the disposal of Japanese ACWs lag far behind. The Convention has entered into force for 13 years now, but not one single Japanese ACW has been destroyed to date. With repeated incidents of injuries to people and contaminations of water and soil, these ACWs constitute a real threat which is far greater than existing stockpiles, and their destruction presents a more urgent task. China has actively cooperated in the numerous preparations for the destruction of Japanese ACWs in Nanjing, but regrettably, the destruction operation scheduled to start by the end of last year has been postponed repeatedly, and has not started to date. China urges Japan to act with a responsible attitude, launch without further delay the destruction operation in Nanjing and formulate expeditiously a general plan for destruction conforming to the requirements of the Convention, so as to complete destruction thoroughly by the final deadline of 29 April 2012. China welcomes a continued positive role of the Secretariat in this process.
Thirdly, the improvement of the selection methodology for OCPF inspections, the enhancement of OCPF declarations, and the distribution of inspections among different industrial facilities – these three issues are closely related and should be tackled in parallel and holistically. A holistic solution should be sought through broad participation by all parties, consultation on an equal footing, and extensive deliberations. The verification resources should be distributed effectively and in strict accordance with the hierarchy of risks posed by different facilities, while taking into full account factors such as geographical balance and States Parties’ capacity to receive inspections. An excessive concentration of inspections on a small number of states may not be conducive to non-proliferation. On the issue of enhancing OCPF declarations, since no consensus has been reached in the on-going discussions, a serious evaluation should be undertaken and opinions from all quarters should be considered in an effort to continue consensus-building, which is the foundation for proceeding properly in the relevant areas.
Fourthly, substantive measures need to be taken to actively promote a higher priority to international cooperation in assistance and protection and in the field of chemical industry. Some countries think that international cooperation will lead to the spread of chemical technology and equipment, which runs counter to the non-proliferation objective. China believes that instead of opposing each other, the two are complementary and mutually beneficial. Security assurance and economic development are both rightful benefits enjoyed by the States Parties to the Convention. They help to promote university of the Convention and improve national capacity for its implementation, thereby contributing to maintaining the non-proliferation objective. On the basis of the efforts made so far, China calls upon all parties to continue consensus-building and increase input, with a view to adopting more specific initiatives for the benefit of developing countries, thereby contributing effectively to tangible exchanges and cooperation.
On this occasion, I wish to announce that in July this year, the Chinese Government will organise, jointly with the OPCW, a training course on protection against chemical weapons in Beijing and has for this purpose donated 20,000 US dollars to the OPCW. Participants from interested States Parties are most welcome. In addition, the Chinese Government will again make available to African States Parties two places of training in specialised chemical industry fields.
Mr Chairperson,
On April 14, China was hit by a strong earthquake in Yushu County, Qinghai Province, causing serious loss of life and property to the local people. The Chinese Government has taken the situation seriously to heart by reacting rapidly to mobilise all available resources for the rescue and relief efforts. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have been to the stricken area to guide rescue and relief efforts. While making all efforts to find and rescue survivors, we are trying to ensure that the injured are properly relocated and treated and that infrastructures are being rebuilt and restored so that people in the affected region can live in full safety and security. After the earthquake, the international community has expressed sympathy, extended support and provided various kinds of assistance, for which China is sincerely grateful. We are confident that with the concerted efforts of the Chinese people and invaluable support of the international community, we will surely overcome the difficulties and rebuild our homes at an early date.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.