The U.s. Proliferation Security Initiative And The Response

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) consist of biological weapons, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. The nonproliferation regime (NPR) constitutes Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Biological Weapons Convention, Chemical Weapons Convention and Missile Technology Control Regime. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) which seeks a global cooperation to stop shipments of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide was initiated by the United States on May 31, 2003. The initiative has been expanding in a fast speed in recent years and 91 countries appear on the list of support, but China hasn't expressed a positive response so far. The author hereby attempts to explore the possible steps taken on China's side along with the development of PSI in the view of the existing realities of China. The author argues that NPR within which both advantages and disadvantages exist is faced of challenges; PSI with a variety of legal and effective concerns as a brand-new nonproliferation mechanism which has been criticized for insufficient public accountability, undermining the UN system, impeding legal trade, being politically divisive brings negative effects on the international legal system, inter-state relationships and the international order of security and economy. The author suggests PSI be legally operated under the existing NPR and China adjust its gestures by taking into account Sino-DPRK relations, Sino-Iranian relations and the changes within PSI itself whilst China pursue the discourse right internationally, participate in formulating the new mechanisms in the developing countries' interest to safeguard the equality among countries.