Interview: Certification of first monitoring station in China a milestone: CTBTO chief

Certification of the first monitoring station of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in China is a milestone, a small step forward made by China and a big step for the international community, chief of the CTBTO told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Lassina Zerbo, the executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, said he is to visit China to officialize the first certified monitoring station based in Lanzhou city, northwest China.

The certification means the formal acceptance of China's Lanzhou monitoring station in the CTBTO's monitoring system, and it will contribute to the global monitoring system under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT).

"The certification of the Lanzhou station and cooperation with China in achieving this is a great step in the right direction," said the chief, noting that the certification with four more stations to be certified in the country in 2017 is "an important milestone for the organization."

Zerbo said China's efforts in cooperation with the CTBTO confirms "China's commitment to this treaty, it confirms China's role in contributing to the verification regime that for compliance with the comprehensive test ban treaty and the effort for China to fulfill all its obligation in regard to this treaty," commended the CTBTO chief.

"China is a big country with more than a billion population, so any step from China represents an important step for the international community," he said.

The CTBTO is a Vienna based international organization under the CTBT, a multilateral treaty by which states agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, however, up to now, the CTBT has not entered into force.

The CTBTO is monitoring the possible nuclear explosions in the world to secure the regime of the CTBT, a key aspect of nuclear non-proliferation, but expecting the entry into force of the treaty, the organization now is still called a preparation commission.

However, Zerbo believes the organization should show its efforts and ability to facilitate the international monitoring system, building stronger confidence for the international community to move forward for implementing the treaty.

Over 90 percent of the CTBTO monitoring facilities of the international monitoring system have been in place, and they are effectively monitoring the world nowedays, including the DPRK's nuclear tests.

Zerbo said the cooperation between China and the CTBTO is enhancing. As the chief of the CTBTO, his first visit to China was in August 2013, "since then we've continued developing great cooperation with China as an important player in the comprehensive test ban treaty," he said.

He said China and the organization are cooperating in areas to facilitate the international monitory system, including knowledge exchanging and monitoring station building, noting China is contributing tremendously to the organization and increasingly involved in the organization.

"Not only now China is important, China has been important ever since the negotiation of the treaty," he said.

Currently five stations in China are transmitting data to the CTBTO, and the CTBTO chief expects to talk with Chinese officials over the prospect for finalizing the remaining certifications and completing China's portion of the international monitory system. Endi