Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what arrangements exist to monitor (a) civilian and (b) military nuclear capability in China.

Mrs Heather Wheeler, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Asia and the Pacific): China is subject to oversight of its civil capability under the Voluntary Offer Agreement it signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency on facility safeguards. As a fellow member of the P5, we work with China on a range of issues including nuclear questions. The P5 process, an informal working group for discussing issues related to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of which China is a signatory, provides a forum for discussions on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

Hansard

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