THE UNITED NATIONS, July 7. /TASS/: China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun deposited the instrument of China’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the country’s diplomatic mission said in a statement on Monday.
"On July 6, Ambassador Zhang Jun handed over a document on China’s accession to the arms trade treaty to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres," the diplomatic mission said. The treaty will enter into force in China 90 days after this document is sent.
In his statement, Zhang Jun noted that this Chinese decision contradicted the US policy. "One country withdrew from international treaties on arms control and also from international agreements and organizations and failed to meet its international commitments and took unilateral steps insulting other countries," the ambassador noted. The envoy stressed that "this unilateral approach became a source of problems in the world."
The accession to the ATT is another important step in China's active participation in global arms trade governance to safeguard international and regional peace and stability, he pointed out.
The Arms Trade Treaty, regulating the international trade in conventional arms - from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships - came into force in December 2014. To date, the Treaty has a total of 105 States Parties and 130 Signatory States.
