China calls on international awareness of chemical weapons destruction

THE HAGUE, Oct. 7(Xinhua) -- China called on the international society to be more aware of the chemical weapons destruction within the final extended deadline, during the 66th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons(OPCW), which closed on Thursday.

Ambassador Zhang Jun, the permanent representative of China to the OPCW and head of the Chinese delegation, pointed out that the complete destruction of chemical weapons within the final extended deadline has been set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention constitutes its core object and purpose.

"It is thus the paramount obligation under the Convention," Zhang said.

Confronted with the severe challenge posed by the probable failure of certain possessor states to meet this deadline, the OPCW has the obligation and responsibility to seek within the framework of the Convention a solution, "to minimise the negative impact of failure to meet the final extended deadline," Zhang emphasized.

Pursuant to the Convention, 29 April 2012 is the final extended deadline for the completion of the destruction of Japanese ACWs, which has also been reaffirmed by the decision of the Executive Council in 2006.

Zhang stressed, as Japan has formally admitted that it is unable to complete destruction within the established deadline, China is seriously concerned with this failure, and urges Japan to take constructive and pragmatic attitude to reach an early solution that conforms to the provisions of the Convention.

During the 4 days meeting, all its 41 Council Member States discussed the key issues related to destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles, destruction of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan in China, future development of the OPCW and the OPCW Program and Budget for 2012.