Screenshot from the CCTV News report

During the ongoing 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday local time, a US delegate challenged the treaty's funding-sharing mechanism. In response, Chinese delegate Sun Xiaobo, director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Foreign Ministry of China, urged the US to fulfill its international obligations and promptly settle the outstanding contributions owed for the current review conference, the CCTV News reported on Tuesday.

A US representative claimed on Monday local time that the existing NPT financing formula is outdated and that, although China has experienced extraordinary economic growth over the past three decades, it contributes only 0.91 percent. He called for a readjustment of the contribution shares of nuclear-weapon states, according to CCTV News. 

In response, Sun, who was in attendance, pointed out that it is inappropriate to use unpaid dues as leverage to pressure others into adjusting membership fees, according to the media report. 

China has consistently paid its contributions for treaty review conferences and related meetings on time and in full. China urges the US to fulfill its international obligations and promptly settle the outstanding contributions owed to the current review conference, Sun said, per CCTV News. 

Sun pointed out that the US and other countries' proposal to adjust the treaty's cost-sharing ratio without prior consultation with other signatory states is detrimental to building consensus among all parties. 

The Chinese side believes that discussions regarding the calculation of treaty contributions should be conducted on the basis of consensus, fairness, and reasonableness, as the issue involves numerous technical details. It is also necessary to respect the domestic budgetary decision-making processes of individual countries, he continued. 

Given the heavy agenda of this review conference, the Chinese side suggests granting states parties additional time to consult on the issue of assessed contributions, Sun proposed. 

The US has long been in arrears regarding its dues to various international organizations, according to media reports.

As of early February, the US had accumulated arrears to the UN - covering the regular budget as well as funding for peacekeeping operations and UN tribunals - totaling approximately $4.6 billion, according to media reports.

Additionally, the US has not made good on its assessed contributions for the past two years, effectively leaving the WHO with a bill of roughly $278 million, US media outlet NPR reported in January. 



Global Times