Mr. President,
At the outset, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, I congratulate Iraq on assuming presidency of the Conference on Disarmament (CD). I trust that under the able leadership of your Excellency, Member States will jointly move forward discussions of the CD’s Programme of Work. China will render full support for the Iraqi presidency, and appreciate the President’s decision to call this plenary on agenda item I. Under current circumstances, especially in the lead up to the Second Preparatory Committee for the 11th Review Conference of the NPT, it is indeed necessary for us to have in-depth discussion of the agenda item of “Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and Nuclear Disarmament”, which is core to the CD.
I have expounded on China’s position during the March 21st Plenary. Today, I would like to focus on the impact of a certain country’s recent forward-deployment of medium-range ground-based missiles on regional security and the disarmament process.
Mr. President,
Forward-deployment of strategicforce by a nuclear-weapon state will undermine strategic balance and stability, worsen tensions in the region, and heighten the risk of an arms race. Recently, the United States deployed medium-range ground-based missiles in Denmark and the the Philippines under the pretext of “military exercise”, and revealed plans to deploy such missiles in the Asia-Pacific on a regular basis within this year. This is the first US deployment of medium-range ground-based missiles after the country withdrew itself from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. This move reveals the fundamental motive of its withdrawal, which is to explore more options for its military blackmailing and expansion. China expresses serious concern over US deployment of such weapons in other countries and at the “doorsteps” of countries dubbed as “rivals” by the US, and its moves to stoke up military confrontation for geopolitical gains under the pretext of military alliances.
The forward-deployment of medium-range ground-based missiles by the United States will result in severe disturbance of the global strategic balance and stability. Medium-range ground-based missiles are strategic offensive weapons, and their close deployment will heighten the risk of strategic miscalculation. Looking back in history, the world went dangerously close to a hot war during the Cuban missile crisis and the Euromissile crisis. As a party to both crises, the United States should have learned of the strategic risk of deploying such weapons at the doorstep of the nuclear-weapon state, instead of neglecting the lessons of history.
Such US deployment will have a significant negative impact on regional peace and stability. The deployment of medium-range ground-based missiles, be it in Europe or in the Asia-Pacific, will ramp up insecurity, heighten the possibility of an arms race, generate risks, and eventually harm the security interests of all. Such deployment will also contribute to missile proliferation. One can’t help but question the sincerity of the United States’ commitment to regional peace and stability, to the reduction of strategic risks and to the global disarmament and non-proliferation process.
As the country with stongest military and the biggest nuclear arsenal, the United States needs to fulfill its responsibility in maintaining global strategic balance and stability, regional peace and security and the international disarmament treaty system, instead of stoking up bloc confrontation and pushing up strategic risk.
China urges the United States to act in accordance with the aspiration of the international community and regional countries for stability, cooperation and development, and refrain from deploying medium-range ground-based missiles in the Asia-Pacific. China also calls on Member States of the CD and the international community to have a clear-eyed view about the nature and dangerousness of relevant US plan, and join efforts to oppose the forward-deployment of medium-range ground-based missiles by the United States.
Thank you, Mr. President.