Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Vol. 2, No. 5, September 1998 - Articles

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Hurrah for China
By Ross Smyth, UNA member and forrmer President of the Montreal Branch

For most of our lives, we were brainwashed into believing we were the "good guys" versus the "bad guys". It is now difficult to look into the mirror and see ourselves with the "bad guys", as is the case with nuclear insecurity. China forthrightly criticized their fellow members of the nuclear club at the UN for clinging to the Cold War mentality of nuclear deterrence policy.

China claimed that others keep on expanding their military blocks, strengthening their military alliances, and developing sophisticated high-tech weapons. They try to restrain other countries’ military capabilities so as to seek absolute security for themselves. Such mentality and practices spoil the atmosphere for arms control. Such activity may trigger a new nuclear arms race. China called for the "complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons at an early date," a position supported by 93 percent of Canadians in a recent public opinion poll, yet strongly resisted by four of the five UN veto powers.

Douglas Roche, Canada’s former ambassador for disarmament, has been among those favoring a Middle Power Initiative for abolition of nuclear arms. Some have already made a joint declaration, namely Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden. A member of NATO, Canada is still fence sitting.