China has made notable achievements in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 2000, a senior Chinese official said at a national conference.

Li Rongrong, vice minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission, said that China's efforts have won international recognition at the two-day conference, which concluded Tuesday.

Officials with the Foreign Ministry, the State Economic and Trade Commission, Ministry of National Defense, the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, and local officials participated in the conference.

Li asked departments concerned to pay more attention to the implementation of the Convention and make greater efforts to ensure its successful implementation in the future.

The National CWC Implementation Office (NIO) is now under the State Economic and Trade Commission. Previously, the office was under the Ministry of Chemical Industry and State Administration of Chemical and Petrochemical Industries before the Chinese government reshuffle.

Sha Zukang, director general of the Arms Control and Disarmament Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, spoke highly of the achievements.

He said that China, as a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, is a responsible state and a victim of chemical weapons during Japanese aggression. "China must fulfill its obligations under the CWC in the most earnest way," he said.

Sha stressed that the implementation of the CWC has a bearing on international and regional peace and stability.

Participants also discussed the working report by Gu Juesheng, deputy director general of the NIO.

They also discussed the preparation of declaration data to be submitted to the international organization, the reception of international inspections, the management of controlled chemicals and the strengthening of local implementation organs.

The CWC, which went into effect in 1997, is an important instrument in international disarmament and arms control, aiming to realize prohibition and thorough destruction of chemical weapons.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an international organization monitoring the implementation of the CWC, was established in May 1997.

China has been consistently favoring the comprehensive ban and total destruction of chemical weapons.

The Chinese government ratified the CWC in 1996, and a Leading Group for the implementation came into existence headed by Vice Premier Wu Bangguo in 1997.

The executive organization of the Group, the National Implementation Office, is responsible for the routine work.

In spite of the temporary difficulties brought by the institutional reform, the Leading Group is still in operation, and the NIO retains its status and function.

Since 1997, China has submitted all kinds of declaration pursuant to the CWC and received 30-odd international inspections.

(Xinhua 01/16/2001)