China is gravely disappointed with the U.S. Senate's rejection of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), said Sha Zukang, head of the arms control department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China is gravely disappointed with the U.S. Senate's rejection of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), said Sha Zukang, head of the arms control department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In an interview with Xinhua, Sha said that the rejection is so bad which will have a far-reaching negative impact.

First, the Senate's denial of the treaty blocks the CTBT from coming into effect, Sha said.

Without the approval of the United States, the largest and the most advanced nuclear arsenal with the heaviest record of nuclear testing in history among the world's 44 countries with nuclear capacities, the CTBT has no hope of ever coming into effect, he said, branding the act as a blow to the international will to permanently ban nuclear testing.

"It seems as if the U.S. was negotiating the treaty for the sake of someone else," by eagerly promoting it and then later dismissing it, Sha said.

"It's the typical practice of the U.S.: sign the treaty first and then have reservations on key decisions, just as it did with the convention on the prohibition of the development, production,

stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction," he said.

Such deeds will leave psychological and political scars on nations concerned, and threaten ongoing and future CTBT negotiations, he noted.

"It needs to be pointed out that superpower though it may be, the U.S. is not supposed to possess super rights. All nations are equal," Sha said.

The two reasons specified by the U.S. Senate for voting down the CTBT are groundless, he pointed out.

Sha dismissed the Senate's claim that the treaty lacks a strict and substantial watchdog mechanism, calling it an empty excuse that can not ensure all parties involved in the negotiations for the CTBT to strictly implement it.

On the contrary, he argued, the CTBT contains a very rigid review procedure and measures.

"I hope the gentlemen of the Senate drew their conclusions after serious study of the text itself," he said.

The Senate's other reason was that the prohibition of nuclear testing undermines the safety and dependability of its arsenal and

risks U.S. security and interests. Sha said this is "a dangerous signal that the U.S. will continue nuclear tests."

"Although the U.S. government makes the commitment to continue

to abide by the CTBT, the stance of the Senate raises doubts about its credibility," Sha said. "The fact that a country with the highest number of nuclear tests in history would not stop testing gives other countries reason to follow suit."

The CTBT, which would prohibit all nuclear-capable countries from developing nuclear weapons in quality, is for the security interests of the international community including the United States, and is also a crucial step toward comprehensively banning and completely eliminating nuclear weapons, Sha concluded.

"The U.S. Senate's rejection of the CTBT is a serious obstacle to the goal, obstructs the arms control process, and negatively affects international nuclear non-proliferation efforts," Sha said.

Regarding China's attitude toward the CTBT, Sha noted that China has been actively engaged in the negotiations for CTBT, and is among the first countries to sign the treaty.

The treaty is currently awaiting ratification by the National People's Congress (NPC), Sha said, adding that the U.S. Senate's rejection of CTBT would not affect China's stance.

"China's determination to get CTBT ratified remains unmoved," he said.

"China solemnly vows not to carry out any nuclear tests before ratifying the CTBT, and to honor all obligations under it after its ratification," Sha stated.

The Chinese government has pledged to push the ratification process forward, but it is up to the NPC to decide whether or not and when to ratify the treaty, Sha explained.

"The NPC will make its decision after careful study of the text and a thorough deliberation of the current international security situations," he added.

However, Sha pointed out, paragraph II, article IX of the treaty, which states that "each State Party shall, in exercising its national sovereignty, have the right to withdraw from this Treaty, if it decides that extraordinary events related to the subject matter of this Treaty have jeopardized its supreme interests," applies to all state parties. (Xinhua)