Mr. Chairman,

Concerning AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation, China has already set out its position in detail under a separate agenda item. Having heard the comments of some countries under this item, China would like to respond as follows:

Firstly, the three countries, in their respective comments, avoided the major issues and never answered the substantive questions raised by the international community and many IAEA Members States concerning the trilateral nuclear submarine cooperation and all along skirted around the essence of the issue, namely the illegal transfer of nuclear-weapon material involved in the cooperation. this only shows the three countries are intentionally concealing information on nuclear weapon material transfer. In view of this, the Agency must continue to preserve the relevant intergovernmental process, in particular through a standing agenda item and special committees, among others, in order for IAEA Member States to jointly explore solutions to issues associated with AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation and, on this issue, submit recommendations and reports thereon to the Board and General Conference. Pending consensus among member states on a relevant solution, the three countries should not move ahead with their nuclear submarine cooperation.

Secondly, the three countries must faithfully fulfill their legal safeguards obligations and provide timely and comprehensive information to the secretariat on the various phases of their cooperation. Otherwise, the ability of the secretariat and the DG to fulfill their statutory obligations will inevitably be affected. In the Safeguards Implementation Report for 2021, the DG reminded the three countries on this issue, of the latter’s legal obligation on reporting.

Thirdly, we repeat once again our calls on the three countries to stop their non-compliance and change course rather than go down the nuclear proliferation path, wreck the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and putting themselves on the opposite side of the international community and the entire agency membership. We also call on agency member states to continue to follow closely the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation, actively participate in the relevant discussion process and with real action defend the NPT, uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and maintain international peace and security.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.