Transcript of an interview by the Chinese Foreign Ministry with Wang Qun, Director General of the Department of Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People' s Republic of China
It is reported that at the Seoul Plenary, China is blocking India’s membership. What is your comment?
The NSG has hitherto not agreed any agenda with the item on non-NPT states’ participation. And this Plenary has no such item on its agenda either. So, there is no point of so called opposing or supporting India’s membership. China, for its part, attaches great importance to the issue of how to handle the issue of non-NPT states’ participation. Under the Argentina Chairmanship, China has worked hard to push discussions on the above issue in all aspects. And so far, three rounds of discussions had been conducted in the format of Friends of Chair meetings. Despite many differences in the course of discussion, The Chinese side nevertheless believes such discussions are useful and enhance the mutual understanding of relevant parties. We for our part wish to continue this discussion. And in the meantime, we will also participate in the discussion in a constructive manner.
What are the criteria required for the new members of NSG?
As for the eligibility of new members of the NSG, there are five criteria covering a wide spectrum, from factors of technical to political and legal nature. NPT is a must. In other words, the applicant state shall be party to the NPT.This is a rule not set by China, but reaffirmed by the international community. NPT represents the cornerstone of the entire non-proliferation regime. If exceptions are allowed here or there on the question of NPT, the international non-proliferation then will be collapsed altogether. In the absence of NPT as political and legal basis, it will be inconceivable for the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear issue to be reached. And moreover, it will add huge difficulty to the implementation of the JCPOA. And in the absence of NPT as the political and legal basis, how could the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsular be resolved? All these merit reflection. While it’s easy to adopt double standards, the consequence can be enormous.
What is the role of China on this issue?
As for how to address the issue of non-NPT states’ participation, this is a formidable task. Parties are far apart withing the group. But China’s approach is basically two-fold. On the one hand, the rule of the Group should be respected, as such rules are not targeted against any specific countries. On the other hand, innovative ideas are called for to forge consensus. To this end, China had pushed the Group to conduct informal discussions under the Argentina Chairmanship. And at this plenary, China once again pushed the group to discuss the issue of non-NPT states’ participation in an innovative format. It should be stressed that such format is not only more formal, but represents a major result achieved at this annual plenary. China commends the leadership role of ROK in its capacity of Chairmanship of the Group, and China for its part has also made its due contribution.
There is saying that India is seeking NSG membership on the ground of developing nuclear energy out of the need to meet the challenges in climate change. What is China’s view?
China for its part, understands India’s sentiment on developing nuclear energy to meet climate changes. This is also the common challenges confronting the developing countries. We believe that NPT as the only international non-proliferation legal instrument, is not at odds with the Paris Agreement on climate change. On the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing and supportive. There are three pillars in the NPT, one of which is to ensure the legitimate rights of country in developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. India had bilateral cooperation with many members of the Group in the field of nuclear energy. And subject to India’s needs, China for its part also stands ready to explore cooperation in this field, so as to help India to address its nuclear energy needs.
