����GENEVA, March 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Ambassador on Disarmament
Hu Xiaodi urged the Conference on Disarmament Thursday to take effective
measures to prevent the weaponization and an arms race in outer space.
����Speaking at the plenary of the 2002 Session of the Conference on
Disarmament, the Chinese ambassador expounded China's position on
preventing an arms race and a fissile material cutoff.
����Hu pointed out that the international community is faced with the
imminent danger of outer space weaponization, the consequencesof which
will not only trigger a possible arms race in outer space,but also cause
serious damage to the international disarmament process and global
strategic balance and stability.
����The events of September 11 have proved once again that the security
threat against the international community is more diversified and global,
with its asymmetrical feature becoming increasingly predominant. States in
the world increasingly rely oneach other more than ever before with regard
to security, said Hu. ����
����"Any country, no matter how powerful it is, has to participate in
and strengthen its cooperation with others. This is the only way to meet
the various security challenges and to ensure comprehensive and
long-lasting peace and security," the Chinese ambassador said.
����Hu emphasized that existing outer space legal instruments are far
from meeting the new challenges. Only by concluding through negotiations
legally-binding international instruments to prohibitthe weaponization of
outer space and prevent an arms race in outerspace can the interests and
assets of all states be safeguarded onan equal footing and valuable
resources channeled toward peaceful use.
����The Chinese ambassador said that China gives its full support to
the proposal put forward by the Russian Federation at the United Nations
General Assembly last year on the moratorium on thedeployment of weapons
in outer space and on the prohibition of theweaponization of outer space.
����Hu stressed that China's position on the Fissile Material Cutoff
Treaty has not changed.
����"We still favor an early start on related negotiations in the
Conference on Disarmament and we intend to participate in the negotiation
process once the program of work of the Conference on Disarmament is
reached," said the Chinese ambassador. Enditem
