Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: VCG

 China is fulfilling its domestic legal procedures to ramp up ratifying the Firearms Protocol, a key step in implementing the global security initiative and maintaining international peace and stability amid the global threat of gun proliferation, said Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday. 

The introduction of China's Firearms Protocol promotion followed the declaration of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday. Wang said that China has started the relevant domestic legal procedures to ratify the Firearms Protocol, which reflected China's determination to support multilateralism and implement the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China is willing to take the ratification of Firearms Protocol as a chance to work with all parties toward solving global gun proliferation problems, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. 

"China has become one of the safest countries in the world with the least gun-related violent crimes after years of efforts. And China's strict management of military exports and earnest fulfilling the international obligations have been widely praised by the international community," Wang said.

Wang pointed out that illicit firearms manufacturing and trafficking has not only caused enormous civilian casualties, but also had obvious spillover effects such as exacerbating regional instability and fueling terrorism and transnational organized crimes.

According to the United Nations, the Firearms Protocol aims to control and regulate licit arms and arms flows, prevent their diversion into the illegal circuit, facilitate the investigation and prosecution of related offences without hampering legitimate transfers. The protocol was adopted in May 2001 at the 55th session of the UN General Assembly and entered into force in July 2005.

Global Times