GENEVA, April 6 -- On April 4, local time, Li Song, China’s ambassador for disarmament affairs, led the Chinese delegation to attend the second meeting of the preparatory committee for the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). He pointed out that the US, as a depository state of the BWC, should set an example rather than an exception in the field of strict implementation of all the obligations under the BWC.
Li Song said that the Biological Weapons Convention is the cornerstone of global biosecurity governance. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening for the signature of the BWC, the State Parties should commit themselves to negotiating and establishing the verification mechanism of the BWC at an early date, strengthening the mechanism for confidence-building measures (CBM), promoting international cooperation and assistance, advocating responsible biological scientific research, and coordinating and strengthening the biosecurity mechanism. He also suggested the States Parties should issue a common political declaration at the Review Conference, demonstrating the political commitment to strictly implement the obligations of the BWC and comprehensively strengthen its regime and universality.
Li also pointed out that Russia recently released relevant documents about the US bio-military activities in Ukraine, which has caused widespread concerns in the international community and further highlighted the importance and urgency of clarifying the concerns about the implementation of the BWC through consultation and cooperation among States Parties within the framework of the BWC. Since the US is the country conducting the most bio-military activities in the world and the only country opposing the establishment of a verification mechanism, the concerns of the international community are reasonable and rational. He emphasized that this is neither about US bio-laboratories in Ukraine alone, nor a new problem arising from the current situation.
Li also stressed that China has suffered greatly from biological weapons in history, and always stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all weapons of mass destruction including biological weapons and resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological weapons by any country under any circumstance.
"We welcome the international community’s assessment of the documents revealed by Russia under the framework of the BWC and the UN. At the same time, the US clarifications could also be heard in a fair and impartial manner. Through these assessments and clarifications, the international community will draw a fair conclusion on whether these documents are false information or not", Li said.
He added that the US side also needs to clarify its bio-military activities in the rest of the world, so as to make an unequivocal and credible explanation to the international community. As a depository state of the Convention, the US should set an example rather than an exception in the field of strict implementation of all the obligations under the BWC.