China and Russia submitted a pair of non-papers to the Conference on Disarmament in speeches by Ambassadors Leonid A. Skotnikov (Russia) and Hu Xiaodi (China).
The two speeches had a de facto division of labor, with Skotnikov talking substance and Hu talking process.
- Skotnikov’s reinforced the general argument that this is about rebuilding US-Russian strategic dialogue—he described the effort as “an invitation to dialogue and collective creativity.”
- Hu indicated the Chinese could live with virtually any mandate that included PAROS discussions.
The non-papers, Verification Aspects of PAROS and Existing International Legal Instruments and Prevention of the Weaponization of Outer Space, are available from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Skotnikov mentions a third non-paper, concerning terms and definitions, yet to be released. I have an unofficial draft if someone needs a copy. Serious inquiries only (always wanted to write that).
Late Update: All three non-papers are now available from the Russian Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament.
