China has stressed that all governments shoulder the primary responsibility for combating the illicit trafficking and excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on small arms and light weapons, China's representative to the United Nations, Zhang Yishan, said on Thursday that such weapons have increasingly become a global issue and influence every aspect of society.

He called for joint efforts by the international community to impose strict controls on illicit small arms production and trade, and to provide financial and technical help to developing countries.

He said China has already signed the Firearms Protocol, and is also establishing a national data base for small arms and light weapons production, possession and trade, and optimizing its marking system. 

(CRI.com February 18, 2005)