China reiterated its stance on complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and called for countries concerned to give up the effort in developing and deploying missile defense systems.

Sha Zukang, China's chief arms control official and head of the arms control department of the Foreign Ministry, made the statement in an interview with Xinhua here today.

Vice-Premier Qian Qichen made clear the stance of China's on the issue of nuclear weapons at the 1994 United Nations Assembly, Sha said.

Qian, who was then also Foreign Minister, pointed out in his UN address that China supports the adoption of a convention on the comprehensive ban of nuclear weapons through negotiations.

Since the international community has comprehensively prohibited biological and chemical weapons, there is simply no reason not to do the same with nuclear weapons, which have greater destructive force, Sha quoted Qian as saying.

According to Sha, the United States and Russia, with the world's top two nuclear arsenals, should take the lead in implementing the package of strategic arms control treaties they have signed, and continue to negotiate for treaties for further strategic arms control so as to create favorable conditions for other nuclear countries to join in the process of nuclear reduction as early as possible.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is a key prerequisite for the smooth running of nuclear reduction, and the international community should work together to ensure its implementation, Sha said.

Developing and deploying the National Missile Defense (NMD) system and the Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system will alter the strategic balance and runs counter to nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, noted Sha, who urged countries that are doing so to abolish such plans.

NMD and TMD will become unnecessary when the goal of nuclear weapons destruction is realized, he said.

Before the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons can be completed, Sha said, nuclear-weapon states should undertake unconditionally not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and regions.

These are the fundamental and most important measures to establish trust, and are enormously good for the nuclear reduction process and non-proliferation efforts, he said.