By Nie Xiaoyang and Chen Junxia
GENEVA, July 1 -- The Conference on Disarmament in Geneva has resumed its sessions on June 30 after a three-month recess due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
At the conference, Li Song, China's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary for disarmament affairs, pointed out that arms control in the new era must be built on the good-faith implementation of provisions and on rigorous verification and enforcement of compliance. China will firmly support multilateralism and promote the non-proliferation process of international arms control.
At the same time, Amb. Li informed the conference that China would soon formally accede to the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a multilateral treaty that regulates international trade in conventional weapons.
He said that the COVID-19 pandemic is a common enemy of humankind and a common challenge facing all countries in the world. International efforts to fight against the pandemic have further highlighted the significance of upholding multilateralism and solidarity and cooperation, which are also the fundamental guarantee for the final victory against the COVID-19 and for the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Amb. Li pointed out that in such a special year as we mark 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 50th anniversary of the entry into effect of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), members of the international community have become more committed to multilateralism and safeguarding the current non-proliferation regime and international arms control.
In the new era, the arms control and disarmament regime must be built on the good-faith implementation of provisions and on rigorous verification and enforcement of compliance, completely abandoning the Cold War mentality to maintain collective security, he added.
In addition, Amb. Li mentioned that during the legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, lawmakers voted to approve a decision to join the ATT on June 20, which means that China has basically completed domestic legal procedures for its accession to the ATT.
This is another landmark measure for China in supporting multilateralism and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, which will surely have a positive impact on further enhancing the ATT's universality and effectiveness.
