The three goals of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) must be promoted in a comprehensive and balance manner, said Zhang Yan, Head of the Chinese Delegation to 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), on Tuesday.

"In light of the latest developments, challenges and problems in international security, it is urgent for the international community to take more pragmatic and concrete steps to preserve and strengthen the universality, effectiveness and authority of the NPT," Zhang said in the general debate at the 2005 NPT Review Conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

"To achieve this, the three goals of NPT, namely nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, must be promoted in a comprehensive and balance manner," he stressed, adding that the three goals are interlinked and inseparable.

Zhang stressed that this conference is expected to make progress in promoting the three goals of the Treaty.

"China has always advocated that all nuclear-weapon states should explicitly commit themselves to destroying nuclear weapons in a complete and thorough manner; lowering the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy," he said.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that China opposes proliferation of nuclear weapons in any form, calls upon all those outside the NPT to join as non-nuclear-weapon states, and is in favor of continued efforts to enhance and improve the existing nuclear non-proliferation regime in accordance with new developments.

Zhang said the aims of nuclear non-proliferation must be achieved through an integrated approach addressing both the symptoms and root causes.

According to him, the international community should create favorable international and regional security conditions conducive to non-proliferation, solve the prominent nuclear proliferation and other related issues through political and diplomatic means within the current international legal framework, and strengthen and improve the existing non-proliferation regime in light of the overall non-proliferation situation and the global economic, scientific and technological developments.

"The relation between non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy should be put in correct perspective and properly dealt with," Zhang said. "The rights of non-nuclear-weapon states to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, under the IAEA safeguards shall be respected and preserved."

Zhang stressed that China, as a State Party to the NPT, has always faithfully observed its obligations and committed to the three objectives of the treaty, and preserving and strengthening its universality, effectiveness and authority.

(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2005)