Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, wrote the upcoming "Report on China's Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2018)" (referred to as the Annual Report of China on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), entitled "The Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons" "Community" signed article. The article is as follows:
"Implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention and Promoting the Construction of a Community of Human Destiny"
Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology
"After suffering, we know peace is precious." At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the hearts and minds of the tortured people of China and Africa in plain words, which resonated with war-torn, yearning and peaceful countries and nations all over the world. In 2018, the international community solemnly commemorated the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and called for remembering the lessons of war, putting peace first, and avoiding the recurrence of historical tragedies. This war brought unprecedented catastrophe to human beings. For the first time, inhumane chemical weapons were used on the battlefield on a large scale, with millions of dead bodies and charcoal, and endless harm. One hundred years after the war, the situation is changing, and what remains unchanged is the relentless pursuit of peace and a better life by mankind. The Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is a peaceful treasure borne by blood and rain. It declares that a whole class of weapons of mass destruction will eventually withdraw from the stage of history.
2018 is the biannual review year of the Convention. Over the past five years, the ups and downs have been mixed and mixed. It is gratifying that the ban on chemical weapons has always been the focus of international attention. The implementation of the Convention has made significant progress. Except for a very small number of countries that have long stayed away, they have joined or are preparing to join the Convention. To complete the destruction mission, the United States will also complete it in September 2023, and the countdown will be completed to achieve the goal of destroying all chemical weapons in stock. What worries us is that the chemical weapons incidents have been continuously renovated, international political influence has deepened, and disputes have become increasingly prominent. The State party and the OPCW urgently need to build consensus and move forward.
In 2018, the ban on chemical weapons continued to move forward through twists and turns. The universality of the Convention has further increased, and Palestine has become the 193rd State Party. The destruction of chemical weapons progressed smoothly, destroying 248,200 tons of first-class chemical weapons throughout the year, with a cumulative destruction of 68,125,800 tons, accounting for 96.64% of the total. The destruction of Japanese chemical weapons and aging weapons was carried out step by step. To prevent the recurrence of chemical weapons and maintain pressure, 241 industrial facilities were inspected throughout the year, inspection measures were continuously improved and optimized, and relevant databases and network information tools were updated. With continued investment in international cooperation in compliance, the OPCW continues to implement the capacity building program to assist the contracting states, organize nearly 100 training courses, seminars and other activities, provide a learning and exchange platform for the contracting states, and lean towards developing countries. Future development and safety concerns and upgrades, further strengthen interaction with industry and science, take advantage of the professional advantages of technical organizations in participating in solving international hotspot issues, strengthen the balance of advancing the purpose of the Convention, reduce the burden of industrial compliance, chemical safety and security , Green chemical industry, peaceful use of chemistry, and combating chemical terrorism, etc., play a role in promoting global security and development.
In 2018, challenges in the field of international chemical bans continued. There have been repeated incidents of toxic chemicals used as weapons in Syria, and there have been two incidents of toxic chemicals not listed in the Schedule of the Convention in the United Kingdom. Regarding the investigation and handling of the Syrian chemical weapons issue and the British toxic chemical incident, the OPCW ’s politicization tendency and the trend of division and confrontation among the parties have intensified. The Fourth Review Conference of the Convention, which shoulders the mission before and after, has failed, and many important resolutions with serious differences have been forcibly adopted by voting. Some of them have caused unprecedented impact on the integrity and effectiveness of the Convention. Equality The tradition of dialogue and consensus and the atmosphere of seeking common ground while reserving differences and unity and cooperation have been damaged. In addition, there are still many outstanding issues and new situations in the "Convention" that need to be studied and solved urgently, and the economic and technological development of the contracting countries still needs to go deeper, so that developing countries can share more "dividends" for compliance.
2018 is the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. In the past 40 years, the Chinese nation has made a great leap from standing up to becoming rich and becoming strong. It has changed not only China but also the world, becoming a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. The ban on chemical weapons implementation has also left a solid and shining footprint in this glorious course. China has always been a staunch supporter and practitioner of the Convention. As the country with the most industrial compliance facilities and the heaviest burden, it has made great efforts and made outstanding contributions to the implementation of the Convention. In 2018, China “did not live up to its dreams, not singularity”, strictly implemented the contract, and demonstrated its responsibility as a responsible big country with new actions.
---- The legislation of the implementing country has reached a new level. The "Implementation Rules of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Management of Controlled Chemicals" was revised and promulgated by Decree No. 48 of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, effective January 1, 2019. This is the first revision of the "Rules" since its implementation in 1997. The "Rules" now meet the needs of the development of the situation, better integrate with the "Convention" and domestic laws, and closely integrate with the actual management of China's monitoring chemicals, further clarify the status of the monitoring chemicals company as the main body of the contract and the supervision responsibility of the government department, and strengthen the service measures for enterprises , Taking into account the needs of security and development, has further improved the level of institutionalization, standardization and modernization of China ’s chemical ban implementation.
---- The implementation of coordination organizations presents a new situation. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China's compliance department has continuously strengthened the organization and coordination of national compliance work, further played the role of inter-ministerial joint meeting on compliance, strengthened unity and cooperation with relevant compliance departments, and increased support for local compliance agencies. Relevant departments to fulfill their duties and cooperate closely. The local competent department has effectively strengthened the organization and leadership of the contract implementation work in the region, overcome the difficulties in the institutional reform, established and perfected the working mechanism, earnestly held the responsibility for the soil, fulfilled the duty and fulfilled all the work. The inter-ministerial coordination, inter-ministerial linkage, horizontal-to-edge, and vertical-to-bottom implementation system with Chinese characteristics is more sound and effective.
---- Perform the obligations of the "Convention" to show a new look. Various declarations were submitted to the OPCW on time, including 1,307 civil industrial facilities, accounting for about a quarter of the world. 42 inspections were conducted by the OPCW, including 30 inspections of civil industries including protective research facilities, ranking first among the parties. Actively promote the process of destroying Japanese chemical weapons, assist Japan in recovering and destroying 13086 pieces of Japanese chemical weapons, and accept 12 inspections of Japanese chemical weapons. Strictly abide by the monitoring chemical transfer regulations, standardize import and export control, strengthen risk prevention and control, and provide trade convenience. Strengthen publicity and training, enhance the enterprise's awareness of non-proliferation, and guide enterprises to establish a self-discipline mechanism to consciously engage in international trade in accordance with laws and regulations. China has promised a lot of money and strictly implemented the contract, which has been widely praised by the OPCW and the international community.
---- Promote international exchanges and cooperation to bear new fruits. Fully and deeply participate in the formulation of international rules on chemical bans, consultations on hot issues and coordination of related affairs, and play an important and constructive role. Submitted "China's position paper on Japan's abandoned chemical weapons in China", "China's position paper on verification" and "China's position on Articles 10 and 11 of the Chemical Weapons Convention" to the Fourth Review Conference of the Convention "File", put forward the Chinese plan and contribute Chinese wisdom. Actively participate in the work and activities of the OPCW, and provide strong support in human and financial resources. Co-organize training courses and seminars with the OPCW to provide project training instructors and internship companies for the OPCW to share Chinese experience and help developing countries improve their compliance and protection capabilities. Conduct pragmatic dialogues and consultations between multi-bilateral compliance agencies, and actively promote chemical companies' compliance exchanges and economic and trade cooperation.
---- New progress has been made in strengthening supervision services. In order to strictly implement the convention and be highly responsible to the people, China has implemented strict control over the entire life cycle of monitoring chemicals. Adhere to the administration according to law, strictly implement the examination and approval of the construction of monitoring chemical production facilities and the assessment of special production permits, and strengthen source control. Implement the management of all aspects of the management and use of chemicals to ensure traceability and controllability. Implement the "release management", continue to carry out the "double random, one open" supervision and inspection of monitoring chemicals, strengthen the after-event supervision; reduce the number of licensed materials, shorten the approval time, reduce the burden for enterprises and grassroots; actively promote the chemical industry to change the way, Adjust the structure, encourage and guide enterprises to pay more attention to green development, technological progress, become stronger and bigger, and accelerate the development to fundamentally reduce and reduce the risk of compliance.
---- New achievements have been achieved by consolidating social consensus. Vigorously carry out law enforcement and publicity and education activities to further enhance public awareness and participation in compliance. Organized a nationwide commemorative event to commemorate the 4.29 International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) compliance laws and regulations for the first time, soliciting publicity works for the society and receiving responses from all walks of life, soliciting nearly 1,000 works including posters, comics, videos, text messages, and poems. Adhere to the daily dissemination of information on compliance, make full use of the official website and other new media and traditional media to publish compliance information, publish the "Report on China's Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2017)", and establish the work on the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons "Briefing" makes the performance of the contract closer to the enterprise and the public, creating a good social atmosphere.
More than 200 years ago, Kant, the founder of German classical philosophy, carefully designed the ultimate pursuit of human well-being in "Eternal Peace". More than 100 years ago, the philosopher did not achieve "perpetual peace" on the land where he had been sleeping for centuries, but an unprecedented world war broke out. Today, the world is undergoing a major change that has not been seen in a century. Although peace and development are still the themes of the times, "permanent peace" is still a difficult proposition of the times. In today's world, traditional and non-traditional security issues such as war turmoil, natural disasters, climate change, terrorism, and so on, one after another, mankind has never been as closely related as today, and building a community of human destiny has become an inevitable choice for the "global village". The remarkable achievements of the Chemical Weapons Convention for more than 20 years have provided a successful example for building a community of shared future for mankind. China will, as always, join hands with the people of the world to fight against each other, to build a world free of chemical weapons, to make the achievements in the field of chemistry fully for the benefit of mankind, and to promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind. Open and inclusive, clean and beautiful world.