CHINA SHARES NPT PREPCOM AND REVCON PRIORITIES

UNCLAS BEIJING 000439 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, ISN/MNSA: SCOTT DAVIS UNVIE FOR IAEA GENEVA FOR CD DELEGATION USUN FOR POL USNATO FOR POL USEU FOR POL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM MNUC AORC DCG ENRG KNNP PREL PGOV UNGA IAEA, CH SUBJECT: CHINA SHARES NPT PREPCOM AND REVCON PRIORITIES REF: STATE 6970 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: PolOff discussed reftel questions regarding China's priorities for the upcoming Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) and 2010 NPT Review Conference (RevCon) with MFA Arms Control and Disarmament Department Nuclear Division Deputy Director Dai Huaicheng on February 20. Dai stressed China's belief that the three NPT pillars must be advanced "in a balanced way" in order to make progress and avoid conflict during the NPT review process. Noting the "common interests" shared by China and the United States within Q NPT regime, Dai called for "new elements and positive actions" from the United States in nonproliferation and disarmament efforts. On the question of NPT noncompliance such as with Iran and North Korea, Dai indicated China's belief that these issues are most effectively addressed by other means such as the Six-Party Talks process. Dai stressed the importance of agreeing on a clear agenda for the 2010 RevCon at the upcoming May PrepCom, in order to avoid the "failure" of the 2005 RevCon. End Summary. China's NPT Objectives -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Deputy Director Dai told PolOff on February 20 that, although the NPT had "encountered challenges over the past ten years," China still believed the NPT was "the foundation of the world nonproliferation regime." Therefore, continued Dai, China felt the current NPT review process was "of great significance" and should "enhance the NPT's authority, effectiveness and universality in order to enhance global peace and stability." China hoped that the "positive initiatives" from last year's RevCon "combined with a new U.S. Administration" would provide opportunities "to advance the three pillars of the NPT in a balanced way" at the 2010 NPT RevCon. ¶3. (SBU) Dai stressed that China held it was "important to properly deal with the interrelationships among the three pillars" and warned that failure to address issues in all three pillars "would lead to conflict and failure." "The P5 bears primary responsibility for pushing forward the agenda in a balanced way," according to Dai. If that occurred, NPT members might "reach consensus on a joint declaration covering all three pillars" at the 2010 RevCon, Dai said. May PrepCom Priorities -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Calling the 2005 RevCon "a failure since eighty percent of the time was spent discussing procedural issues," Dai said China believed the most important outcome from the May PrepCom would be "a clear agenda for the 2010 Review Conference." The U.S. Role -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Dai said "China and the United States share many common interests in the NPT review process." "The leading role of the United States in the international nonproliferation regime is quite important, but we lost some chances for progress on nonproliferation over the past ten years," asserted Dai. He said China hoped that "once the new U.S. administration finishes reviewing nonproliferation policies" there would be "some new elements and positive actions" from the United States, "not only within the NPT but also in its bilateral disarmament efforts with Russia." Iran and North Korea -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Dai said that while North Korean and Iranian noncompliance could be discussed at the NPT RevCon, China believed that venue "is not the place to take detailed steps." Instead, "efforts should continue via the Six-Party Talks and other processes," asserted Dai. Violation of or Withdrawal from the NPT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Noting that "some NPT member countries want strict measures and consequences in place for violating or withdrawing from the NPT," Dai said "proper measures must be discussed within the NPT framework." Lack of NPT Universality -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Dai said the question of countries remaining outside the NPT was "quite complicated," and declared that while "we cannot acknowledge the nuclear status of non-NPT signatories, we must bring them into the game." "This is particularly important as the P5 reduce their nuclear arsenals," he added. IAEA Additional Protocol -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Dai said China welcomed the recent completion of steps in the United States to bring into force the Additional Protocol, and stated China would "work with the United States and other countries to foster ratification of the Additional Protocol by more and more countries." Enrichment and Reprocessing -------------- ¶10. (SBU) "China believes we must address nonproliferation issues as countries assert their right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy," stressed Dai. Regarding concerns over enrichment and reprocessing, Dai said that while China "welcomes and is open to discuss proposals by the UK, Russia and others," China generally maintained it "is better to have some type of multilateral arrangement or agreement." Dai suggested that NPT members "review all the current proposals" and seek a "mutually agreeable arrangement using the best parts of each proposal." PICCUTA