(July 2024, Geneva)

Mr. Chair,

Peaceful uses of nuclear energy is a legitimate right of all States parties enshrined by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.“Atoms for Peace and Development”is the common aspiration pursuit by all peoples. H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and a rational, coordinated and balanced Nuclear Safety Strategy, which have laid out the solid basis for China to participate in and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy. To give full play to the NPT’s role in serving world peace and development in the new era, China is ready to work with the international community to make efforts in the following aspects.

Firstly, the right of all State parties, especially that of the Global South, to peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be upheld. All parties should support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in promoting the nuclear energy to be universally benefited by all, and actively support the fulfillment of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. All member states especially developed countries should increase assistance and support to the Global South in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy based on the latter's actual needs. The international community should support the IAEA in strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of safeguards based on the principles of fairness, objectivity and transparency, promoting the universality of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol, improving the safeguards regime so as to address new challenges in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.

Secondly, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be approached in a balanced manner. Efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation should not undermine the legitimate rights of all countries, especially the Global South, to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The international community should avoid politicization of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, interference with and restriction of normal international cooperation. Some countries should abandon negative practices by drawing ideological lines in the name of nuclear non-proliferation, over-stretching the concept of national security, using export control as a tool of decoupling. China submitted the resolution on “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of the International Security” to two sessions of the UN General Assembly, advocated striking a balance between development and security, and advancing nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy in a balanced manner. The resolution fully represents the interrelation of Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative aims to protect the legitimate rights of all countries in peaceful uses of science and technology, including nuclear technology.

Thirdly, efforts should be made to strengthen international nuclear security, and strictly implement nuclear security national responsibility. Nuclear safety and security are the lifeline for sustainable peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The international community should work together to adopt a fair, cooperative and mutually beneficial international nuclear security system and build a a community with a shared future fur human and nature, rather than sacrifice the natural environment and human health. Japan has unilaterally launched the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean, blatantly ignoring the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests. The international community should urge Japan to properly handle the issue of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-contaminated water discharge with a responsible and constructive attitude, and cooperate to create an independent, effective and long-term international monitoring arrangement with substantive participation of its neighboring countries and other stakeholders, so as to avoid any irrevocable consequences.

Mr. Chair,

Following an active, safe and orderly strategy in development of nuclear energy, China has the largest scale of nuclear energy capacity under construction with the fastest pace. China is also the first to achieve commercial operation of the third-generation nuclear power units, playing an important role in global nuclear energy renaissance. Up until May this year, the Chinese mainland has 56 operational nuclear power units under operation, 37 approved or under construction. Last year nuclear electricity generation reached 440, 000 gigawatt hours.

Mr. Chair,

Recently, China has held the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, considered and adopted the Resolution of CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization. China is willing to take this opportunity, to expand international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, work with all sides towards a world of peace and development by promoting nuclear energy, so as to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

Thank you.