Beijing, Sept 04: China today said it supported the early coming into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) but did not specify a timeframe for its ratification which is pending for years with the Chinese Parliament. "We hope, the National People's Congress (NPC), according to the relevant legal procedures, will ratify the treaty," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters when asked about a timeframe when China would ratify the CTBT which it signed in 1996.
"We attach great importance to it. We believe that the CTBT has an important role in the non-proliferation and disarmament process," he said. When asked to comment on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's recent appeal to all states that have yet to sign or ratify the treaty to do so without delay, Kong said, "We hope for an early ratification and coming into force of the treaty."

China is one of 12 countries, including the world's biggest nuclear power, the united states, whose refusal to ratify the CTBT is preventing it from entering into force. Under the treaty rules, the 44 nations that had nuclear research or power facilities must ratify it. Bureau Report