As the 2012 deadline for the complete destruction of chemical weapons approaches, China Monday called for parties to demonstrate their political will and speed up the destruction process.

During the 15th session of the Conference of the States Parties of OPCW, Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said the Chemical Weapons Convention has been playing "an important role" in removing the threat of chemical weapons.

Zhang said: "The timely completion of destruction activities constitutes a core obligation under the Convention. The destruction of chemical weapons is the most important, pressing and overriding task for the OPCW at present and in the years to come."