DELEGATES AT DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE REGRET CHINESE NUCLEAR TEST, URGE RESTRAINT PENDING FINAL NEGOTIATIONS ON TEST BAN

14 June 1996

Press Release
DCF/264

DELEGATES AT DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE REGRET CHINESE NUCLEAR TEST, URGE RESTRAINT PENDING FINAL NEGOTIATIONS ON TEST BAN

19960614 GENEVA, 13 June (UN Information Service) -- Many speakers at the Conference on Disarmament this morning expressed concern and disappointment regarding a nuclear tests carried by China on 8 June. At a time when great efforts were being made to conclude negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty within two weeks, the test was uncalled for, they said.

That was the view expressed by the representatives of Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Chile, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Mongolia. Several speakers, noting that China had announced a moratorium on tests by September, following one further test, said they would have preferred to see the moratorium take effect immediately, without the final test.

The representative of China said it had not been easy for his country to adopt a moratorium, as it had conducted by far the fewest number of tests among the announced nuclear powers. Certain nuclear super-Powers had made unwarranted remarks about China's tests, which had been based on his country's legitimate security concerns. He called on those countries to focus instead on ensuring a successful conclusion of the current negotiations.

A Conference also heard a progress report on the work of its Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Cooperative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events by its Chairman, Ola Dahlman (Sweden). An important remaining task was to support the extensive investments made in seismic stations worldwide, as well as in the international data centre, he said.

Also this morning, the Conference held a brief informal meeting to discuss proposals for expansion of its membership. A open meeting might be held on the question on 20 June, depending on the progress of negotiations, Conference Chairman Munir Akram (Pakistan) said.

Statements

MARK MOHER (Canada) said his country deplored the recent Chinese nuclear test explosion, as it had deplored all earlier test explosions. While he welcomed China's decision to initiate a testing moratorium by the end of September, it was regrettable that China intended to conduct an additional test. He called on China to reconsider its decision and cease testing now.

Stressing his country's disagreement with the concept of so-called peaceful nuclear explosions, he expressed the strongest reservations to incorporating that concept into the test-ban treaty. Canada acknowledged that China did not fully share that view. Perhaps the Chinese perspective might be reflected in a formal statement issued at the concluding stage of negotiations, rather than in the treaty itself.

He said Canada was becoming increasingly concerned over the disparity of views and complex of issues which remained to be resolved in the brief period remaining for negotiations. Many delegations seemed to be digging deeper trenches and throwing up higher ramparts to defend initial positions. Canada urged all delegations to focus on integration and conciliation across the entire range of the draft treaty.

WADE ARMSTRONG (New Zealand) said his country was seriously concerned and disappointed over the nuclear test carried out by China on 8 June. It was all the more disappointing as it took place during the crucial final stage of negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear test ban and at a time when all other nuclear-weapons States were observing moratoriums. He urged China to refrain from any further testing, adding that New Zealand's concerns had been conveyed to Chinese authorities both in Wellington and Beijing.

ERWIN HOFER (Switzerland) said negotiations on the test-ban treaty had reached a point of no return and must be completed by the end of the month. Switzerland had already taken steps to fulfil its obligations under such a ban; it was ready to function in a monitoring capacity and to provide the most favourable conditions for the functioning of the Conference. While noting with satisfaction China's 6 June statement regarding peaceful nuclear tests, Switzerland regretted the 8 June test and hoped China would refrain from any further testing.

He said that expanding the Conference's membership would be a decisive step towards bringing the body into line with global realities. By bringing in the 23 candidate countries, including Switzerland, it would help with control and monitoring of issues that were of concern to the Conference. Those 23 countries had achieved remarkable unity in their aims. A cooperative spirit should prevail with respect to concluding negotiations on the test ban and in admitting the 23 candidates to the Conference.

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WOLFGANG HOFFMAN (Germany) said his country had immediately expressed regret over China's nuclear test explosion, as it opposed all nuclear testing as a matter of principle. Such tests were relics of the cold war; they had no place in the post-cold war era and ran counter to the spirit of current negotiations on a comprehensive test ban. Germany was making every effort to bring those negotiations to a successful conclusion.

He said he had listened with great interest to the China's statement that it would conduct one more test and then institute a moratorium. While he regretted any further testing, he said he was glad that a moratorium was imminent.

RICHARD STARR (Australia) expressed deep regret over the nuclear-weapon test conducted by China on 8 June. Australia had repeatedly urged the imposition of a moratorium and so welcomed China's decision to adopt a moratorium on nuclear testing after conducting one final test before September. However his country, together with the vast majority of the international community, sought an immediate, complete and final end of all nuclear testing anywhere, and for all time.

The prospect of even one more nuclear test compounded the risk posed by last weekend's test, and it undermined the delicate state of negotiations on a comprehensive test ban, he said. Any country that continued testing bore a special responsibility for the successful conclusion of those negotiations in just over two weeks. He strongly urged China to join the other nuclear-weapons States and cease testing without further delay.

ANTONIO DE ICAZA (Mexico) said his country regretted the nuclear test carried out by China and its announcement that another test would be made before the end of September. Nuclear tests must cease immediately. In the current international situation, the upgrading of nuclear arsenals was not necessary; such tests generated uncertainty regarding the international non-proliferation regime.

The upgrading of nuclear weapons also created an obstacle to negotiations for a test-ban treaty, as well as to the greater goal of completely eliminating weapons, he said. Mexico had repeatedly called on all States to observe a moratorium on tests until a comprehensive test-ban treaty entered into force. China's announcement of a moratorium on tests would be acceptable to Mexico if it were to take effect immediately.

MISAMI KUROKOCHI (Japan) said China's nuclear testing ran counter to international efforts towards nuclear disarmament. Japan strongly urged China not to proceed with testing and called upon that country to take a more flexible attitude so as to enable an early conclusion of the test-ban negotiations. Nuclear-weapons States bore a heavy responsibility for nuclear

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disarmament. They must respond to the confidence placed in them by other States by moving toward nuclear disarmament.

Only two weeks remained until the completion of negotiations on the test-ban treaty, he said. The only way out was to make a determined effort to work jointly towards a convergence of positions. It was strongly hoped that negotiations would be more productive in the time remaining, particularly as there were issues on which delegations had as yet shown no flexibility.

JORGE BERGUNO (Chile) said negotiations should be aided by use of the working document proposed by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Working Group. That text highlighted critical areas, while presenting reasonable political positions. Chile was concerned about the relationship between a comprehensive test ban and existing disarmament instruments. The progressive development of international law should be respected. Chile also was concerned about such practical matters as financing for the international monitoring system and proposals for expanding it. His country wished to contribute to that system and hoped Latin American participation would not be reduced as the process advanced.

He drew attention to his country's concern over China's recent nuclear test, which was a disappointment, given the process of negotiations. The announcement by China of a moratorium on such tests was welcomed, but Chile would prefer that it take effect immediately. He was more concerned by China's position on so-called peaceful nuclear explosions within the framework of a comprehensive test ban.

YONG-SHIK HAWANG (Republic of Korea) expressed deep regret that China had again conducted a nuclear test at a critical time on heightened international efforts to conclude the comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty. He strongly urged the China to halt immediately any planned testing and to join international efforts for the early attainment of a nuclear-test-free world.

BJORN SKOGMO (Norway) said his country fully supported Japan's position regarding the entry into force of a comprehensive test ban. The events of the past few days had proven once again the crucial importance of a test-ban treaty. The Nordic ministers had issued a joint statement deeply regretting the recent Chinese test explosion, which had taken place at an unfortunate time. The obstacles remaining to a comprehensive test ban could and should be resolved soon.

LARS NORBERG (Sweden) said his Foreign Minister had issued a statement following the Chinese nuclear test deeply deploring it and strongly urging China to cease such testing. Sweden remained committed to quick achievement of a test-ban treaty and welcomed China's declaration of a moratorium on testing.

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LOUIS A. DE ROOVER (Belgium) said his Government was extremely disappointed over the recent nuclear test conducted by China. The development of new nuclear weapons ran counter to the logic of nuclear disarmament as pursued over the past few years. China's announced moratorium on further tests as of September 1996 was a step forward. Belgium appealed to China to refrain from further nuclear testing.

SHIRCHINJAVYN YUMJAV (Mongolia) joined in expressing concern and disappointment over the 8 June nuclear test carried out by China. As a neighbouring country, Mongolia was sensitive to the fact that China was the only one of five announced nuclear powers that had not observed a moratorium on testing. Mongolia was also concerned that China would conduct a further nuclear test, but welcomed its decision to impose a moratorium by September.

STEPHEN J. LEDOGAR (United States) said his country had already had expressed deep regret over China's 8 June nuclear test. He welcomed the statements by Mexico and Mongolia particularly since, in criticizing the Chinese test, they had not lumped it together with the tests carried out earlier by France.

OLA DAHLMAN (Sweden), Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Cooperative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events, introduced a progress report on that body's work. He said an important remaining task was to maintain and develop the extensive investments made in seismic stations worldwide and in the prototype international data centre.

He said the testing of facilities was now well into its second year of successful full-scale operation. To obtain an independent assessment of the status of both hardware and software, with emphasis on documentation, the Group recommended an external audit of the prototype centre. There was also a need for additional work at the national data centres, one important task being to monitor and improve station performance. It was also necessary to calibrate the seismic network in order to achieve location accuracy in detecting nuclear explosions. The training and education of experts worldwide was also important.

SHA ZUKANG (China) said that, in an 8 June statement on China's nuclear test, his Foreign Ministry had affirmed China's support for the complete prohibition and destruction of nuclear weapons, as well as for a test ban as a means to that end. China had long ago announced that it favoured conclusion of the comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty in 1996. His country would continue to work towards that accomplishment.

He said the number of nuclear weapons possessed by China was small. Those weapons were maintained solely for defence purposes and posed no threat to other countries; China would never use them except in self-defence. China

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called on other countries to join it and reach agreement on banning the first use of nuclear weapons. Pending such agreement, China had found it necessary to conduct an extremely limited number of nuclear tests. It had exercised the utmost restraint in that process.

He said China would conduct one more test before September to ensure the safety of its nuclear weapons. After that, it would implement a moratorium. It was not easy for China to take a decision to impose such a moratorium, as his country had conducted by far the fewest number of tests among the nuclear Powers, and its arsenal was no match for those of the others. The intent of the moratorium was to advance the test-ban negotiations and to satisfy the wishes of the non-nuclear-weapon States.

He said China understood their concerns of other States. However, certain nuclear super-Powers had made unwarranted remarks about his country's tests, which were based on its legitimate security concerns. China called upon those countries to focus instead on the test-ban negotiations, with a view to ensuring their successful conclusion.

Addressing the concept of peaceful nuclear explosions, he said that was not a Chinese invention. For more than 20 years, China had been a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which contained that concept. If States want to see it incorporated into the comprehensive test ban, why hadn't they called for its exclusion when the NPT was renewed last year? China had been very flexible during the test-ban negotiations, and called for other countries to take a equally positive and flexible approach.

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