Mr. President,
At the outset, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, let me congratulate you on assuming the first Presidency of the 2024 session of the Conference on Disarmament. I appreciate the great deal of work you and Her Excellency Ambassador Szücs did during intersessional period. I also extend my greetings to my newly arrived colleagues. Happy new year!
Mr. President,
Since the closure of the last session of CD, our world has not been tranquil. The global security landscape has become more complicated and challenging.
Geopolitical tension remains high; the lack of trust between major powers remains severe; and the international political atmosphere continues to worsen. Regional hotspots keeps flaring up, their spillover effects becomes more prominent, triggering heightened risks of escalation and military confrontation. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, exerting profound influence on the global processes of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, including the work of multilateral arms control mechanisms such as the CD.
Rather than achieving much needed substantive progress in various arms control and disarmament fora, we are witnessing more intense political confrontation instead of meaningful dialogue and cooperation, more entrenched polarization instead of political will to reach consensus, and more fragmented approaches and parallel processes instead of focused joint efforts to address common security challenges facing the international community.
These developments reflect, in a profound manner, that changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding in ways like never before. Our world has entered a new period of instability and transformation. Deficits in peace, security and governance keep widening, the global strategic balance and stability experiences new impact, and the international arms control and disarmament system bears more pressure and faces greater challenges.
In the meantime, the international community's keen wish for peace and development, their strong concerns for the humanitarian crises triggered by escalation of armed conflicts and urgent call for ceasefire and cessation of hostilities fully demonstrate that our world demands peace, solidarity and cooperation, not wars, division and confrontation.
Mr. President,
Security is essential for humanity. It has to do with the global cause of peace and development, the welfare of people around the world and the future of us all. It is also a most important international public good. As the final document of the First Special Session of the General Assembly devotedto Disarmament (SSOD-I) points out, "the attainment of the objective of security, which is an inseparable element of peace, has always been one of the most profound aspirations ofhumanity”.
Faced with rising security challenges and worsening security dilemmas, bloc confrontation leads us nowhere. Cold war mentality and hegemonism are the deep causes behind instability and lack of security in today's world. Fixation on the outdated zero-sum outlook on security and major country competition will only result in less trust between big countries, heightened risk of an arms race, a vicious cycle of regional conflicts and disruption of global security governance.
China believes that pursuing military advantage over other countries or seeking “position of strength” do not represent the right way to enhance peace and security. Instead,people around the world aspire to live in a community with a shared future for mankind.
We need to practice true multilateralism for an equal and orderly multipolar world and greater synergy for lasting peace; we need to embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and create a favorable environment for universal security; we need to promote both development and security, advocate universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, realize mutual benefit and common prosperity, thus laying a solid foundation for eliminating the root causes of conflict and turbulence.
Mr President,
The CD is the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum established by the SSOD-I. The current international security landscape poses difficulties for the CD's work, but these difficulties must not be allowed to prevent the CD from making continued contribution to multilateral arms control and disarmament processes and humanity's noble pursuit for peace and security. Member States of the CD must not be disheartened by current developments; on the contrary, it is these tensions and crises that further demonstrate the urgency of moving forward substantive work under the CD's agenda items.
Against the backdrop of the great changes of our times, the CD, a multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, must not only serve as a barometer of international situation. It should also provide a reliable, sustained force of stability for global security. I'd like to share my views on how to advance the CD's work.
First, we need to enhance confidence and pool our strengths. Although the CD and its predecessors had experienced the severe bloc confrontation, regional conflict and major-country competition during the height of the Cold War, they successfully negotiated important agreements such as the NPT, the BWC, the CWC and the CTBT, thus laying the groundwork for the multilateral arms control treaty system. Faced with the trend of fragmentation of the international arms control governance system and a growing number of parallel processes, we need to take urgent steps to re-establish the CD’s authority as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, and strive to pool, and not dilute, international efforts to respond to outstanding issues regarding strategic security, arms control and disarmament.
Meanwhile, all sides should address the root causes of current tensions, work in the same direction on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, accumulate trust, improve the external and internal atmosphere of the CD, in order for the CD to make substantive contribution to global peace and security and revitalize the international community's confidence in the CD.
Second, we need to seek common ground, set aside differences and take a pragmatic approach. In light of the differences in national conditions and strategic security environment, countries employ different national defense, military and security strategies. As a result, countries have different thoughts as to what should be priorities of the CD, and different approaches to specific issues, such as nuclear disarmament, prevention of an arms race in outer space and military application of emerging technologies.
In advancing the work of the CD, we need to embrace a constructive mindset, balance the concerns of various parties, seek the broadest possible common ground on the basis of mutual respect, uphold the principle of consensus, and move forward the substantive work under various agenda items in a comprehensive, balanced manner. China takes note of the broad recognition of the subtle balance achieved in the 2022 Formula, supports formulating this year's program of work on that basis at an early date, and appreciates the good work of Ambassador Ray in this regard.
It needs to be pointed out that despite being a disarmament“negotiating" body, the CD is meaningful for the substantive discussions of relevant issues. It helps to give clarity to political, legal, military and technological complexities, explore procedural approaches to specific issues and make the necessary technical preparation for starting negotiations.
Third, we need to focus on the priorities and strive to be creative. Although it has been more than 40 years, the goals, principles and programme of action set forth by the SSOD-I remains highly significant for the current work of the CD. In particular, many of the priorities identified in the programme of action has yet to be translated into real results.
In recent years, the concern about the strategic risk stemming from geopolitical conflicts is growing, and interest in the CD's agenda items, such as nuclear disarmament, prevention of nuclear war, and prevention of an arms race in outer space, are on the rise. The CD needs to build on previous efforts and advance substantive work under all agenda items, including negotiating legal instruments on negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. In the meantime, the evolving international security landscape and the development of emerging technologies have added new dimensions to traditional arms control and disarmament agenda, and brought fresh impact on risk assessment, confidence building measures, verification technology and mechanism and subjects of governance. We need to progress with the times, bear in mind the new developments and explore new ways to respond to them.
China takes note of Pakistan's proposal for the CD to discuss the military application of AI. China attaches great importance on the governance of AI, and would like to exchange views with various parties under the current agenda of the CD. As is pointed out in the Global AI Governance Initiative issued by the Chinese government last October, we support discussions within the UN framework to establish an international institution to govern AI, and to coordinate efforts to address major issues concerning international AI development, security and governance.
Mr. President,
The CD is undergoing a severe trust deficit. Last week, China's premier Li Qiang made a special address at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum emphasizing the importance of trust. The Premier said, “Whether it is toovercome current difficulties, or to create a better future, it is essential that we discard prejudice, bridge differences and work as one to tackle the trust deficit.” He called on all sides to “treat each other with sincerity and work in the same direction”,for “a stronger foundation of trust and more fruits of cooperation”. I think these words ring true for the revitalization of the CD and the broader disarmament and arms control processes as well.
China’s Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, held not long ago, reaffirms that China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, seeks to bring countries together to meet challenges and achieve prosperity for all, and usher in a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress of our world. I'd like to reiterate that the Chinese delegation will be guided by these principles, work closely with all sides, engage deeply in the work of the CD in 2024 and help advance substantive work under all agenda items in a comprehensive and balanced manner, so as to make renewed contribution to safeguarding international peace, security and stability.
I thank you, Mr. President.
