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First China-hosted radionuclide monitoring station certified by CTBTO

Xinhua, December 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chief of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) on Friday certified an International Monitoring System (IMS) station RN 21 in Lanzhou, northwest China.

The CTBTO monitors possible nuclear explosions, a key aspect of nuclear non-proliferation. An IMS station detects radioactive particles and noble gases in the atmosphere, a technology that can confirm whether an explosion is indicative of a nuclear test, according to the CTBTO.

The certification of the first of eleven IMS stations to be hosted by China under the CTBTO is a clear sign of China's political and technical support for the treaty, and its commitment to a nuclear test free world, said Lassina Zerbo, executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO.

It also proves China's commitment to the verification regime of the treaty, he said, adding that four more stations in China will be certified in 2017.

Certification of the Lanzhou Station is important for the CTBTO, he said, as a significant step towards completion of the organization's global monitoring network and sends a strong signal to the international community on the importance of verifying the treaty.

"I look forward to building upon the excellent cooperation and coordination between the CTBTO and China with a view to moving forward with the jointly established roadmap to bring China's primary stations to certification," he said.

The CTBTO is a Vienna-based organization under the CTBT, a multilateral treaty to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments. Endi