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June 9th, 1996 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO:
CC: From: Dear Mr. President, We are writing to you on behalf of Greenpeace. As you may know, Greenpeace is an independent, popularly supported non-governmental organization that has worked for 25 years to convince the nuclear weapons states to stop testing. As of this year, the United States, Russia, France and the United Kingdom have stopped nuclear testing and the world is on the verge of achieving a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). On the evening of June 8, the MV Greenpeace departed from Manila to continue its voyage of peace to China. We bear a message about the need to end nuclear testing and agree to a genuine CTBT by the end of June. The June 8 nuclear weapons test at Lop Nor, and your country's announcement that another test is planned by September, have underscored the urgency of our visit to Shanghai. These additional tests, aside from the environmental contamination they will cause, could sabotage the CTBT talks underway in Geneva. China's continued testing is also impeding progress towards complete global nuclear disarmament, of which a CTBT is the first step. There are less than three weeks remaining to reach agreement on a CTBT if the treaty is to be ready for signing this year. There is an urgent need for China to take steps to support a meaningful CTBT now, including cancelling further tests and dropping all references to so-called peaceful nuclear explosions. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing has expressed reservations about the MV Greenpeace's visit, we hope you, the Ministry, and other members of government will appreciate its importance and welcome us to Shanghai. Additionally, we hope that when we reach Chinese waters around June 12 the reception will be cordial. While in Shanghai, we look forward to meeting with representatives of the People's Republic of China to discuss these serious matters of nuclear disarmament and an immediate end to nuclear testing. On behalf of the millions of people around the world who want an end to nuclear testing and a meaningful Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, we look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Respectfully,
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