Nuclear Non-Proliferation I

China has acceded to all international treaties and multilateral mechanism in nuclear non-proliferation regime. China has comprehensively participated in multilateral non-proliferation mechanism building, improvement and at the same time strictly implemented its international obligations.  

l         In January 1984, China joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and committed itself to fulfilling its safeguards obligations aimed for nuclear non-proliferation stipulated by the IAEA Statute. China has taken an active part in activities for promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy and strengthening safeguards.  In 1985, China voluntarily placed its civilian nuclear facilities under the IAEA safeguards. 

l         In September 1991, the Chinese Government announced that it would, on a continuing basis, notify the IAEA of China's export to or import from a non-nuclear-weapon state of any nuclear material over one effective kilogram.

l         In March 1992, China acceded to the NPT.

l         In February 1993, China formally undertook that it would voluntarily notify IAEA of all its export and import of nuclear material as well as its export of nuclear equipment and related non-nuclear material.

l         In May 1996, China undertook not to provide assistance including nuclear export, personnel and technological exchanges and cooperation to other countries' nuclear facilities not under IAEA safeguards.

l         China actively participated in negotiations of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test -Ban Treaty (CTBT) and was among the first to sign the treaty in 1996.

l         In October 1997, China became a member of the Zangger Committee.

l         In December 1998, China signed the Protocol Additional to the IAEA Safeguards Agreement and formally completed the domestic legal procedures necessary for the entry-into-force of the Additional Protocol in March 2002, thus becoming the first nuclear-weapon state to have the Additional Protocol in effect.

l         In June 2004, China joined the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG).

l         China supports international efforts against nuclear terrorism and played an active role in the formulation of the Convention Against Nuclear Terrorism, thus made its due contribution to the consensus of the Convention on the 59th UN General Assembly.

l         China has already acceded to the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, and the Convention on Nuclear Safety. It actively participated in the drafting of and consultations on the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, and has begun the work related to the accession to that convention.

l         China is a State Party to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM), and has actively supported and participated in the negotiations to amend the Convention, thus facilitating a smooth amending process. China will together with other parties work for a successful Conference of Plenipotentiaries to consider and adopt proposed amendments to the Convention.

l         China actively supports and participates in the IAEA technical cooperation activities and carries out international cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards. Up till now, China has intergovernmental agreements of cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy with 17 countries.

(China.org.cn May 12, 2005)