Draft of final NPT document drops call to “visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” reflecting China’s opposition
May 22, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
NEW YORK—On May 12, the Main Committee I (Disarmament) of the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) distributed a revised document which removed a call for the world’s political leaders to visit the A-bombed cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from the draft of the final document. This action is believed to reflect China’s demand to drop this reference. Member states are expected to continue bargaining over the final document, including deliberation of the wording, until May 22, the final day of the conference.
On April 27, the opening day of the Review Conference, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech at the General Debate and made a proposal for world leaders to visit the two A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to witness with their own eyes the realities of the A-bombing. In a draft outcome document circulated among member countries on April 8, a reference was made to this proposal.
In response, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affaires Fu Cong was quoted as saying at a closed-door meeting on May 11 that he asked that the reference be dropped because certain governments would “distort history.” On May 12, he said to reporters at United Nations headquarters, “Many delegates, both publicly and privately, support our position.” He stressed that “The purpose of the Japanese government is to portray Japan as a victim of the Second World War, rather than a victimizer,” and said that China would adamantly refuse to include the reference to visiting the A-bombed cities.
Still, the Japanese government is prepared to continue making strong diplomatic efforts so that the final document will incorporate the proposal made by the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), comprised of Japan and 11 other non-nuclear weapons states, which includes calling for political leaders and youth to visit the two A-bombed cities.
The revised version retains text which could take the form of a nuclear-weapons-ban treaty or a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention, in order to create “a world free of nuclear weapons.” However, the expression involving the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons has been partially modified. The earlier version was worded “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again under any circumstances,” while the new version states “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that the nearly seventy-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons be extended forever.” It is thought that the position of the nuclear weapon states, which will not rule out the use of nuclear weapons under “extreme circumstances,” prevailed in this revision.
With regard to nuclear arms reduction by the United States and Russia, the early draft insisted that negotiations reach a conclusion within the effective period of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). However, the new version states that “The conclusion should be reached as soon as possible.” Antinuclear NGOs criticized the nuclear weapon states and their allies dependent on nuclear arms for rolling back the substance of the document.
(Originally published on May 14, 2015)
NEW YORK—On May 12, the Main Committee I (Disarmament) of the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) distributed a revised document which removed a call for the world’s political leaders to visit the A-bombed cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from the draft of the final document. This action is believed to reflect China’s demand to drop this reference. Member states are expected to continue bargaining over the final document, including deliberation of the wording, until May 22, the final day of the conference.
On April 27, the opening day of the Review Conference, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech at the General Debate and made a proposal for world leaders to visit the two A-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to witness with their own eyes the realities of the A-bombing. In a draft outcome document circulated among member countries on April 8, a reference was made to this proposal.
In response, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affaires Fu Cong was quoted as saying at a closed-door meeting on May 11 that he asked that the reference be dropped because certain governments would “distort history.” On May 12, he said to reporters at United Nations headquarters, “Many delegates, both publicly and privately, support our position.” He stressed that “The purpose of the Japanese government is to portray Japan as a victim of the Second World War, rather than a victimizer,” and said that China would adamantly refuse to include the reference to visiting the A-bombed cities.
Still, the Japanese government is prepared to continue making strong diplomatic efforts so that the final document will incorporate the proposal made by the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), comprised of Japan and 11 other non-nuclear weapons states, which includes calling for political leaders and youth to visit the two A-bombed cities.
The revised version retains text which could take the form of a nuclear-weapons-ban treaty or a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention, in order to create “a world free of nuclear weapons.” However, the expression involving the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons has been partially modified. The earlier version was worded “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again under any circumstances,” while the new version states “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that the nearly seventy-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons be extended forever.” It is thought that the position of the nuclear weapon states, which will not rule out the use of nuclear weapons under “extreme circumstances,” prevailed in this revision.
With regard to nuclear arms reduction by the United States and Russia, the early draft insisted that negotiations reach a conclusion within the effective period of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). However, the new version states that “The conclusion should be reached as soon as possible.” Antinuclear NGOs criticized the nuclear weapon states and their allies dependent on nuclear arms for rolling back the substance of the document.
(Originally published on May 14, 2015)
