Fulfilling nuclear disarmament obligations and promoting the international nuclear control and disarmament process.
Ever since the first day of possessing nuclear weapons, China has fulfilled its nuclear disarmament obligations in a concrete manner. China has always exercised utmost restraint in developing its nuclear force, and has never participated in any nuclear arms race. China has never threatened to use nuclear weapons against other countries, nor deployed any nuclear weapon on overseas territories. China keeps a very limited nuclear arsenal only for self-defense purposes. China maintains a limited nuclear counter force in order to deter possible nuclear attacks by other states against it.
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A Sight Spot in Qinghai -- The Decommissioned Nuclear Weapon Development Base |
China has closed down its nuclear weapon research base in Qinghai Province. After environmental clean-up, the base was handed over to the local government in May 1995.
China firmly stands for the CTBT and supports its early entry-into-force. China has taken an active part in the conferences for promoting the entry-into-force of the CTBT, and has co-sponsored relevant UNGA resolutions on the treaty. Pending the entry-into-force of the treaty, China will continue to abide by its moratorium on nuclear testing.
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National Data Center under Construction in Beijing |
China has actively participated in the work of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, and has made careful preparations for implementing the treaty. China has actively taken part in the negotiations on the on-site inspection manuals and other issues. After carefully studying the CTBT on-site inspection technologies, Chinese experts have developed a prototype of mobile Ar-37 monitoring system, which can be used to quickly detect underground nuclear explosions.
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Field Demonstration of Ar-37 in March 2004 |
China supports the early negotiation and conclusion of a FMCT. In 1993, China supported the UNGA resolution on concluding a "non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices". Since then, China has voted in favor of the resolution on FMCT at each session of the UNGA. In August 2003, in order to facilitate the early negotiation of the FMCT, China took a flexible position and was ready to join the consensus on the "five ambassadors' proposal" on the CD working program.
China has always opposed the development and deployment of outer space weapon systems and missile defense systems. In 2000, China submitted to the CD a working paper entitled "China's position on and suggestions for ways to address the issue of prevention of an arms race in outer space at the Conference on Disarmament" (CD/1606). In June 2001, China put forward another working paper entitled "Possible elements of the future international legal instrument on the prevention of the weaponization of outer space" (CD/1645). In June 2002, China, Russia as well as Viet Nam, Indonesia, Belarus, Zimbabwe and Syria jointly submitted a working paper entitled "Possible elements for a future international legal instrument on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects" (CD/1679).
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Monitoring Facilities |
Number
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State |
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primary seismic stations |
2 |
having been built |
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auxiliary seismic stations
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4
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to be upgraded
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radionuclide stations
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3
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having been built
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infrasound stations |
1
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under construction
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National Data Centre
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1
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under construction |
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National Radionuclide Laboratory |
1 |
under construction |
State of Monitoring Facilities in China Comprising the International Monitoring System of CTBT
(China.org.cn May 12, 2005)
