Debate goes on about what specific materials and activities the FMCT should address. In terms of what the FMCT should cover, opinions span a wide spectrum from a treaty of narrow scope, which would be limited to future production of weapon-grade material and associated facilities, to a comprehensive treaty resembling the NPT safeguards. The problem is how to negotiate a treaty that is favorable for all participants, given that interests and priorities vary so much.

China stands for an early start of the FMCT negotiation based on a comprehensive and balanced program of work and believes that the CD should also carry out substantial work on other important agenda items such as Prevention of Arms Race in Out Space, Security Assurance of Non-nuclear Weapon States and Nuclear Disarmament. Hopefully, the CD would carry forward all tasks in a balance manner on the basis of a Program of Work that is agreed by consensus. 

Under the current circumstances, if the CD cannot reach a consensus on the Program of Work, it may continue to conduct discussions on the FMCT and other agenda items “informally” or in some other appropriate ways at plenary sessions, following the practice in recent years. In this way it can maintain the CD’s authority and its Rules of Procedure, but also ensure the general participation of member states. In order to achieve this goal early, it is essential that all the parties try to reduce differences gradually and expand common ground, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal consultation, taking into account of and accommodating each other’s  reasonable concern, so as to recover CD’s substantive work eventually. In the past three years, there were several rounds of informal discussion held in the CD and in fact some useful results have been achieved.

Some states recently organized the so-called “side event” on the FMCT in the CD. China has expressed explicitly that it cannot go along with this activity and would not take part in it, pointing out that such action is lack of universal participation of all parties concerned, any result therefrom has no status in the CD and China would not recognize it. In view of maintaining the authority of the CD and its Rules of Procedure, and ensure the universal participation of all member states, China has always held that the CD as the sole multilateral disarmament negotiation body serves as the only appropriate mechanism for the FMCT negotiation and is hopeful that this negotiation could start as early as possible in the CD according to its Rules of Procedure.”

He went on to talk about some of his personal view concerning the FMCT:

(责任编辑：军控协会)