On behalf of the Chinese Government, Zhang Huazhu, head of the Chinese delegation to the 48th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on Monday that China will donate another US$1 million to the agency.

The extra-budgetary contribution is aimed at helping the nuclear watchdog support technical co-operation programmes targeted at developing countries and bolstering the agency's endeavours to strengthen nuclear security.

By the end of 2003, China had contributed US$11 million in cash and other donations in kind to the IAEA, an inter-governmental organization established in 1957 under the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology throughout the world.

The donations from China have demonstrated in full the importance the Chinese Government has been attaching to the IAEA's role in promoting worldwide peaceful nuclear utilization and the country's wishes to make bigger contributions in this regard.

Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the IAEA, gave glowing praise on China's latest move on the same day following Zhang Huazhu's announcement.

"The IAEA is grateful for China's continuing generosity in supporting our technical co-operation and security programmes in the nuclear field," ElBaradei said.

He also said that China had remained one of the IAEA's admirable partners over the past two decades in promoting nuclear security and technological co-operation.

Since it joined the IAEA in 1984, China has been not only one of the nuclear agency's major recipients but also one of its major contributors.

While contributing a lot to the IAEA, China has also gained more than US$22 million of technological aids from the agency.

It is just such mutual assistance between the IAEA and its member states that has greatly promoted the development of the world's nuclear cause peacefully.

It has been China's consistent stance that the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) should be fully respected and the complete destruction of nuclear weapons should be finally realized.

Clinging to this position, China has always been firmly opposed to various forms of nuclear proliferation and has actively taken part in international efforts to this end.

To show its full support to the work of the IAEA, China ratified the Additional Protocol to Safeguards Agreement in 2002, making the country the first among the internationally-recognized five nuclear weapon states, which also include the United States, Russia, Britain and France.

The move signalled the country's great contributions to the construction of the international non-proliferation regime.

The Chinese Government also in 2003 promulgated a White Paper entitled "China's Non-Proliferation Policies and Measures," which makes a systematic description of the country's determination and sincerity in this aspect.

The country has so far signed or acceded to all international treaties or conventions on nuclear non-proliferation and relevant international organizations.

All these have fully demonstrated China's active support and co-ordination of the IAEA's and the international community's efforts to build a nuclear-free world as its final goal.

As well as wide co-operation with the IAEA, China has also kept close co-operation with its member states in various fields, ranging from nuclear power, to nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear safety and radiation protection, applications of nuclear technology, and personnel training, all achieving fruitful results.

China's latest contribution, with its consistent support to the IAEA in defusing worldwide nuclear crises, from the Korean Peninsula to Iran and beyond, are converging into a strong message that the country is resolved to being a peaceful force in the world's nuclear field.

Source: China Daily