GREENPEACE PRESENTS SPANISH SENATE WITH THOUSANDS OF SIGNATURES AGAINST CHINESE NUCLEAR TESTING, AS JIANG ZEMIN VISITS:

One million signatures gathered world-wide

MADRID, June 25th, 1996:

At ten o'clock this morning, members of Greenpeace delivered 20000 signatures from 50 different countries against Chinese nuclear testing on behalf of the million signatures gathered world-wide for this reason, delivered in the Chinese embassies around the world.

Greenepace has asked the President of the Spanish Senate to pass the signatures to the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, who is visiting the senate today.

"We want to tell the Chinese government, on behalf of hundreds of thousands of citizens around the world and the majority of the Spanish society, to commit to a total ban on nuclear testing."

Meanwhile, China is still blocking the negotiations at the Disarmament Conference in Geneva, where a Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is being discussed. China wants to leave the door open door to carry out so-called "Peaceful” nuclear explosions (PNEs) in the future. There is only a week left for negotiations to reach a conclusion if the Treaty is to be ready for signing by the end of 1996.

Greenpeace demands that the Chinese government halt nuclear testing now and accepts a total nuclear test ban, prohibiting and ALL kinds of nuclear tests.

At the same time, Greenpeace denounces the totally irresponsible behaviour of the Spanish Government, who has not spoken out against China's nuclear test of June 8, or against China's position on the CTBT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

GREENPEACE SPAIN: +34.1.54.34.704.

or

Kate Johnston in Amsterdam +31.20.52.36.216