1995 Review and Extension Conference
of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

NPT/CONF.1995/26
27 April 1995
ORIGINAL: CHINESE

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
New York, 17 April-12 May 1995

LETTER DATED 25 APRIL 1995 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND DEPUTY HEAD OF
THE CHINESE DELEGATION ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE
1995 REVIEW AND EXTENSION CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE TREATY
ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

I have the honour to transmit to you China's national statement on security assurances (see annex).

I would be grateful if you could take the appropriate steps to register this letter and its annex as a document of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and to have it distributed to the participants in the Conference.

(Signed) LI Zhaoxing
Ambassador Permanent Representative
Deputy Head of the Chinese Delegation

ANNEX

Statement on security assurances issued on 5 April 1995
by the People's Republic of China

For the purpose of enhancing international peace, security and stability and facilitating the realization of the goal of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, China hereby declares its position on security assurances as follows:

1. China undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances.

2. China undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones at any time or under any circumstances. This commitment naturally applies to non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or non-nuclear-weapon States that have entered into any comparable internationally binding commitments not to manufacture or acquire nuclear explosive devices.

3. China has always held that, pending the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, all nuclear-weapon States should undertake not to be the first to use nuclear weapons and not to use or threaten to use such weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones at any time or under any circumstances. China strongly calls for the early conclusion of an international convention on the non-first use of nuclear weapons as well as an international legal instrument assuring the non-nuclear-weapon States and nuclear-weapon-free zones against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

4. China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, undertakes to take action within the Council to ensure that the Council takes appropriate measures to provide, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, necessary assistance to any non-nuclear-weapon State that comes under attack from nuclear weapons, and to impose strict and effective sanctions on the attacking State. This commitment naturally applies to any non-nuclear-weapon State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or to any non-nuclear-weapon State that has entered into any comparable internationally binding commitment not to manufacture or acquire nuclear explosive devices, in the event of aggression involving the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of such aggression against the State.

5. The positive security assurance provided by China, as contained in paragraph 4, does not in any way compromise China's position as set out in paragraph 3 and shall not in any way be construed as endorsing the use of nuclear weapons.

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