国内英语新闻:China going through domestic legal procedures to join the Arms Trade Treaty: spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China is currently going through the relevant domestic legal procedures as required and striving for its accession to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at an early date, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Saturday.

"China has initiated the domestic legal procedures to join the Arms Trade Treaty," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced at the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, which sends out a positive signal of China's readiness to become a State Party to the ATT.

The above measures are important actions taken by China to actively participate in the global governance of arms trade and safeguard international and regional peace and stability. They demonstrate China's determination to support multilateralism and build a community with a shared future for mankind, Geng said.

China always attaches great importance to all aspects caused by the illegal transfer and abuse of conventional arms, supports the purposes and objectives of the ATT and appreciates necessary measures to regulate international arms trade and combat illicit arms transfers, Geng added.

"As a responsible member of the international community, China is ready to continue to strengthen cooperation with all parties and work together to make greater contributions to establishing a fair and normative international order of arms trade as well as maintaining peace and stability both at regional and global levels," the spokesperson said.