BEIJING. — China and the United States will sit down for the first joint work group meeting on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Beijing today, China’s Foreign Ministry announced yesterday.
China and the US decided to establish a joint group on the nonproliferation of WMD during their Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing last July. It is the first time China has established a mechanism for discussion about nonproliferation with other major countries.
Li Yang, Deputy Director-general for the Department of Arms Control in the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and Van Diepen, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Security and Non-proliferation for the US Department of State, will attend the meeting, the Ministry said.
The meeting is expected to enhance practical co-operation in non-proliferation and strategic trust between the two countries, which is conducive to the building of a new type of relationship between major countries.
It is also expected to promote international non-proliferation process by showcasing the co-operation between big countries.
China has always opposed proliferation in all forms and conducted international cooperation in this area. China and the US have shared interests and concerns in non-proliferation and kept communication and cooperation in implementing the UN Security Council Resolution 1540, arms export control and regional non-proliferation hotspot issues. — Xinhua.



