By Li Genxin
China's peaceful development is an expression of its
modernization-geared development blueprint and peace-orientated
international strategy.
This is not only dictated by the nation's specific conditions
but also mirrors the continuation of the traditional Chinese ideas
that "peace comes first" and that "states should peacefully
co-exist with each other while remaining different from each other"
in the contemporary context. This tallies with the world's trend of
peace and development.
The new security outlook has, therefore, been put forward on the
basis of these new ideas.
It is of guiding significance to the Chinese diplomacy,
combining factors of the national security, diplomatic approaches
and the world security.
Prevention of nuclear proliferation is a vitally important
component of the Chinese diplomacy. Guided by the new security
outlook, China's anti-proliferation policy has served the country's
security interest well and helped maintain regional and world
peace, playing an increasingly important part in the international
community's anti-proliferation efforts.
China's practice of and ideas about non-proliferation and
tightening control on the export of sensitive technology and
equipment has tested its new security outlook and helped enrich
it.
In view of both domestic and world security situations and based
on the new security outlook, which are characterized by mutual
trust, equality, mutual benefit and co-operation, the Chinese
Government released documents on May 26, 2004 and September 2,
2005.
Both "China's Non- Proliferation Policy and Related Export
Control Mechanisms" and "China's Efforts in Arms Control,
Disarmament and Anti-Proliferation" demonstrate China's
anti-proliferation ideas.
China's anti-proliferation policy embodies the quintessence of
its new security outlook. The Chinese Government is opposed to any
form of nuclear proliferation. It refrains from supporting,
encouraging and helping any country to develop weapons of mass
destruction (WMD), and is actively involved in international
community's anti-proliferation bidding.
China holds that the root cause of the proliferation of WMD is
some states' or non-state entities' need to use it as means to
achieve their political goals. This is closely associated with the
international and regional security environment.
Introduction of a new world order based on justice and fairness,
as is required by the new security outlook, would help bring an end
to regional conflicts, guarantee the interests of weak and small
countries and disadvantaged groups. This, in turn, would diminish
the desire to acquire WMD and it may ultimately stop WMD
proliferation.
China also maintains that anti-proliferation bidding must have
universal participation by all countries. The fairness, rationality
and indiscriminate nature of anti-proliferation mechanisms must be
guaranteed.
China suggests applying peaceful means to the anti-proliferation
efforts, such as political and diplomatic approaches, dialogues and
co-operations.
At the same time, the rights of individual countries to use
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes must be safeguarded.
In the same manner, any country's proliferation efforts in the
guise of peaceful application must be stopped.
China's implementation of anti-proliferation policy is reflected
in the following ways:
First, the country has involved itself in bringing about a
multi-lateral international anti-proliferation mechanism, pushing
for the development and perfection of this mechanism, signing all
international pacts related to anti-proliferation and joining the
majority of relevant international organization.
The country's anti-proliferation efforts picked up speed in the
late 1990s, which has a lot to do with the promotion of the new
security outlook.
China attaches great importance to the role played by
multi-national export-control mechanisms in anti-proliferation
bidding. In June 2004 the country joined the Nuclear Suppliers
Group, exercising strict export control based on the organizations'
principles and export-restriction lists.
In September 2004, the country formally submitted the
application for joining the Missile Technology Control Regime. The
country has also kept in touch with the Australian Group and
Wassenaar Arrangement.
China is also engaged in bilateral exchanges and co-operation
with Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan,
Britain, the United States and the European Union, learning from
their anti-proliferation experiences.
The country signed a joint declaration with EU on
non-proliferation and arms control issues in December 2004.
As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council, China supports UN to play a key role in the field
of anti-proliferation, believing that strengthening UN's authority
and capability in this regard constitutes an important way to
ultimately eliminate proliferation.
Second, China is involved in the efforts to resolve the issues
of Iran and North Korea nuclear bidding questions.
China, as the immediate neighbor of North Korea , has long been
pushing for the Korean Peninsula to denuclearize since the crisis,
one of the thorniest questions in the world today, came to a head
in 2002.
The country has played a constructive and indispensable role, so
far presiding over four six-party talks on the issue, in which
China, North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Japan and
Russia took part.
In the fourth six-party talk in September 2005, a joint
statement was issued in which all parties committed themselves to
the principle that the Korean Peninsula should be
denuclearized.
The significance of the talks has gone far beyond the nuclear
issue itself and will have positive influences on bringing about
security in the whole Northeast Asia.
On the issue of Iran's nuclear bidding, China believes diplomacy
remains the best way to defuse the standoff.
Third, the country has been strengthening control on the export
of sensitive technologies and equipment.
Since the mid-1990s, a complete set of laws and rules has been
introduced, covering the export of nuclear, biological, chemical
and missile technologies and related sensitive items, and also all
kinds of military-purpose items.
The rules and regulations are supported by anti-proliferation
institutions and have been greeted with co-operation
across-the-board.
Clearly defined division of work, for instance, has been
introduced between different organizations which all have a role to
play in sensitive technology export control.
Take nuclear material or technology export for instance. It is
regulated by the State Commission of Science, Technology and
Industry for National Defence in association with relevant
government departments. The export of dual-purpose (civilian and
military) items is overseen by the Ministry of Commerce, together
with relevant government agencies.
The export of chemicals is subject to the supervision of the
State Development and Reform Commission and related government
organizations.
In addition, rigorous implementation of the regulations and
rules with regard to anti-proliferation efforts has helped a
lot.
The author is the secretary-general of the China Armament
Control and Disarmament Association.
(China Daily February 9, 2006)
