In mid September, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia announced the establishment of AUKUS, under which the United States and United Kingdom will assist Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that the above trilateral deal will give rise to “five dangers” and “three risks”, affecting non-proliferation regime, regional security and strategic stability, which was widely echoed by the international community.
Today, the Board of Governors of the IAEA decided, by consensus and on short notice, to set up a new and full agenda item “Transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT”.
This is a very unusual move, which fully reflects the serious concerns of Board Members on the trilateral deal. It also shows that the matter goes beyond the existing mandate of the Agency’s Secretariat and shall be subject to a mutually acceptable formula to be worked out by the Member States of the Agency through their inter-governmental process.
This, China believes, represents a step in the right direction towards a proper resolution of the issue. IAEA should, as mandated with its safeguards arrangements, focus on prevention, instead of waiting until proliferation occurs with consequences. It is the responsibility and obligation of the Member States of the Agency to conduct in-depth discussions on the above issues through the intergovernmental process.
AUKUS not only bears on the integrity, effectiveness and authority of the global non-proliferation regime with the NPT as its cornerstone, but also affects the post-war international security order and global strategic stability, with enormous implications in its political, legal, technical aspects. China will come up with many questions for serious discussion within the Board. Meanwhile, it will also share with other Members its thinking as how the subsequent discussion should be undertaken.
In a nutshell, the AUKUS and its safeguards is not an issue that could be taken up unilaterally for the three countries, nor is it an issue that could be worked out by Secretariat of the Agency on its own in the absence of the mandate by Member States. This is an issue that shall be subject to a formula to be worked out by Member States through relevant inter-governmental process.
It is the hope of China that the international community will channel their efforts towards a solution acceptable to all. And it is the hope China that the international community will work together to defend the object and purposes of the NPT, safeguard the global non-proliferation regime and safeguard global strategic stability as well as international peace and security.
After the Board conclude its deliberation on the issue of AUKUS, I will be holding a joint press conference, together with the Russian Ambassador to brief the friends from the media on the discussion within the Board, as well as positions of China and the Russia on AUKUS and related non-proliferation issues.