42nd IAEA General Conference

China, Mr. Zhang Huazhu, Head of the Chinese Delegation:

He opened his speech by commending the achievements of the IAEA in promoting and safeguarding peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He especially complimented the use of nuclear technology in the area of water shortage as well as the progress in promoting safety of nuclear energy and nuclear technology application. In 1998 China signed the Additional Protocol to the Voluntary Offer Safeguards Agreement, which it strictly implemented. For the safeguards on Shaanxi Uranium Enrichment Plant, China, Russian Federation and the Agency worked on the joint "Tripartite Project" aimed at developing a safeguards approach for centrifuge uranium enrichment plant. The Agency carried out ad hoc inspections on the plant " to meet the safeguards objective. He noted that in recent years a tendency has emerged to make the Agency a tool mainly for verification, while promotion activities are regarded as a dispensable appendage. If this trend is not reversed, the sound development of the Agency will be affected. He also noted that the issue of nuclear power development was not fully addressed in the "Draft Medium Term Strategy". Furthermore, the Agency should not ignore the requirements of Member States, especially the developing countries, for peaceful uses of nuclear energy while performing its safeguards function and not restrict its development in the name of nuclear proliferation. He said that in response to some Member States’ concern in recent years, the Agency carried out studies and discussions on the proliferation potential of neptunium and americium. He said that although there is no need to divert limited resources to monitoring americium, as there is practically no proliferation risk, China agrees that separated neptunium, which can be used in manufacturing nuclear explosive devices, has some proliferation risk and should be put under proper international monitoring. Therefore his country has agreed to reporting its export of separated neptunium and americium to non-nuclear weapon states. He noted that although CTBT has already been concluded, some countries have still not joined the treaty and are clinging to their nuclear weapon development plans against the current trend of peace and development. The international community should continue to urge these countries to take practical measures to ease regional tensions and accede to CTBT and NPT at an early date in their own interests as well as for the peace and security of the world.

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China, Mr. Zhang Huazhu, Head of the Chinese Delegation:



He opened his speech by commending the achievements of the IAEA in promoting and safeguarding peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He especially complimented the use of nuclear technology in the area of water shortage as well as the progress in promoting safety of nuclear energy and nuclear technology application. In 1998 China signed the Additional Protocol to the Voluntary Offer Safeguards Agreement, which it strictly implemented. For the safeguards on Shaanxi Uranium Enrichment Plant, China, Russian Federation and the Agency worked on the joint "Tripartite Project" aimed at developing a safeguards approach for centrifuge uranium enrichment plant. The Agency carried out ad hoc inspections on the plant " to meet the safeguards objective. He noted that in recent years a tendency has emerged to make the Agency a tool mainly for verification, while promotion activities are regarded as a dispensable appendage. If this trend is not reversed, the sound development of the Agency will be affected. He also noted that the issue of nuclear power development was not fully addressed in the "Draft Medium Term Strategy". Furthermore, the Agency should not ignore the requirements of Member States, especially the developing countries, for peaceful uses of nuclear energy while performing its safeguards function and not restrict its development in the name of nuclear proliferation. He said that in response to some Member States’ concern in recent years, the Agency carried out studies and discussions on the proliferation potential of neptunium and americium. He said that although there is no need to divert limited resources to monitoring americium, as there is practically no proliferation risk, China agrees that separated neptunium, which can be used in manufacturing nuclear explosive devices, has some proliferation risk and should be put under proper international monitoring. Therefore his country has agreed to reporting its export of separated neptunium and americium to non-nuclear weapon states. He noted that although CTBT has already been concluded, some countries have still not joined the treaty and are clinging to their nuclear weapon development plans against the current trend of peace and development. The international community should continue to urge these countries to take practical measures to ease regional tensions and accede to CTBT and NPT at an early date in their own interests as well as for the peace and security of the world.