As terror groups' access to weapons of mass destruction have become more of a major threat to world security, China is teaming up with other countries such as the United States to improve global nonproliferation, said Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui.

Zhang was speaking at the opening ceremonies of a two-day Fifth Sino-US Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation, which opened Tuesday in Beijing.

Zhang said China has already participated in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and is willing to join the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

He said China has formulated and enacted a number of laws and regulations that form a complete system for export controls on nuclear, biological, chemical, delivery system and other sensitive items and technologies.

In reviewing cooperation between China and the United States on such issues as anti-terrorism, chemical and biological weapons, mines and small weapons, Zhang noted that the Taiwan question is at the core of Sino-US relations and also a most delicate one.

William Potter, director of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said the United States and China should work more closely in such areas as conquering nuclear terrorism, which is a great threat to the United States and most other countries, including China.

He suggested the two countries put additional effort into strengthening the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and promoting disarmament and nonproliferation education.

Liu Jieyi, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Arms Control and Disarmament, said that despite the many common interests of the US and China, the two still have several differences, mainly concerning the means to reach their nonproliferation goals.

"The preemptive strikes and maritime interception operations that we have seen were not always in line with the goal to promote international peace and security and did not always conform to international law," said Liu.

Professor Pan Zhenqiang, of the National Defense University, said force can be abused if military actions are not approved by the United Nations.

"In some extreme circumstances, it is possibly necessary to use force, but the act must be authorized by the Security Council," said Pan. "China and the United States have identical nonproliferation goals. But unilateral measures might trigger more problems rather than solving them. I think the two countries need talks on this matter. Moreover, disarmament by nuclear powers should be pushed forward along with horizontal non-proliferation."

The conference, co-organized by the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, is the fifth in a series held between the arms control communities in the United States and China since 1998.

The representative for the American side is Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Burk.

(China Daily July 21, 2004)