(November 11, 2016)

On November 11, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) convened a meeting, under the Chairmanship of Republic of Korea, in Vienna to discuss "Technical, Legal and Political Aspects of Non-NPT States' Participation in the NSG", in accordance with the mandate adopted by the Seoul Plenary in June this year. Ambassador Wang Qun, Director-General of Arms Control Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China headed the Chinese delegation to the meeting.

This is the first time, not only since the Seoul Plenary, but also since the NSG's inception in 1975, for the Group to formally take up the issue of non-NPT states' participation in an open and transparent manner. The meeting had debriefings from relevant countries including China as well as from the former Chair of the Group on their respective papers submitted to the Group The Participating Governments offered their observations on the key issues dealt with in the above papers as they pertain to the issue of technical, legal and political aspects of non-NPT states' participation in the NSG. The Chinese delegation participated in the meeting in a constructive manner and contributed its substantive inputs.

China believes that, the above meeting marks a good beginning of the two-step inter-governmental process launched by the Group. China supports the continuation of this open and transparent inter-governmental process, in accordance with relevant rules of the Group, and to ensure a solid first step taken towards an early formula on the above issue, so that the Group can proceed to the second step of taking up country specific membership application by non-NPT states at an early date. To this end, China maintains that, any formula worked out should be non-discriminatory and applicable to all non-NPT states; without prejudice to the core value of the NSG and the effectiveness, authority and integrity of the international non-proliferation regime with the NPT as its cornerstone; and without contradicting the customary international law in the field of non-proliferation.

China is ready to work with all parties to promote early progress by the Group in this regard.