This marks the 17th consecutive time that the Board of Governors and the General Conference of the Agency have reviewed the AUKUS agenda item proposed by China since the announcement of AUKUS. Over the past two years, the key contribution of the Chinese delegation has been transforming the quarrel and confrontations among IAEA Member States over the AUKUS issue into rational and serious debate and discussion. More and more Member States participated in this process and expressed their views and concerns. With the concerted efforts of all parties, the discussions have become more substantive and in-depth.
One important achievement of the last two years’ intergovernmental discussions was that all parties, including AUKUS partners, emphasized the need to uphold the highest non-proliferation standards and to avoid any negative impact of AUKUS on the NPT regime and the IAEA comprehensive safeguards. At the same time, there are significant divergences and concerns between the AUKUS partners and other Member States regarding the nature of AUKUS and the ways to address its safeguards, etc.
Packaging AUKUS into a routine safeguards case is misleading both IAEA Member States and the Secretariat and deceives the international community. AUKUS is a strategic nuclear cooperation between two nuclear-weapon states and their non-nuclear-weapon military ally for geopolitical strategic purposes and is unprecedented in the history of the NPT. This is an indisputable fact. AUKUS crosses the threshold of nuclear proliferation; it is fundamentally different from the hundreds or even thousands of peaceful nuclear projects conducted by Member States since the IAEA's establishment. If such cooperation becomes a fashion, the NPT and the IAEA would be in chaos! The difference between AUKUS and the peaceful use of nuclear energy is like the difference between a tiger and a cat.
IAEA has never implemented safeguards on nuclear submarine cooperation like AUKUS since its establishment. AUKUS involves the transfer of tons of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, and its safeguards involve numerous complex political, legal, procedural, and technical issues. AUKUS safeguards concern not only the obligations of Australia, as a non-nuclear weapon state, but also the safeguards obligations of the U.S. and the U.K., as nuclear-weapon states, obligations they have never previously undertaken. The difference between AUKUS safeguards and other safeguards is like the difference between an orange and an apple.
If the IAEA were to implement safeguards on AUKUS, it would inevitably break through the boundaries of IAEA's traditional safeguards practices and models and would certainly set a significant precedent. Many issues require comprehensive and in-depth discussion among Member States, these issues cannot be addressed by simplification and there are no simple answers. In particular, the question of whether Article 14 of the CSA is applicable to AUKUS concerns the interpretation of this important provision, which will have a far-reaching implication for other Member States in the future. On these issues, no single state has the authority to dictate rules to the IAEA and other Member States, and the Secretariat should act with utmost caution.
Throughout the IAEA's history, the improvement and development of the IAEA safeguards regime has always relied on universal participation, joint efforts and consensual endorsement among Member States. If this tradition is challenged or even undermined, causing divisions among Member States, it could have an immeasurable and profound impact on the IAEA's comprehensive safeguards regime. In view of the controversy surrounding AUKUS and the complexity of its safeguards arrangements, these issues must be thoroughly reviewed and discussed among IAEA Member States. The issues must be addressed in the most cautious, responsible, and prudent manner, with a focus on safeguarding the integrity, effectiveness, authority, and universality of the NPT and IAEA regimes. We must uphold true multilateralism, and through meaningful and sustainable intergovernmental discussions, gradually explore solutions that will be agreed upon by all Member States and that will stand the test of time and practice.
The IAEA is an intergovernmental organization governed by Member States. On an issue as complex and sensitive as AUKUS, with divergent views and concerns among Member States, there should be no “one-voice” approach and unilateralism, no bloc politics or coercion of parties to take sides. Countries that express different views should not be labeled as “politicizing”, least of all should there be attempts of concealing the moves or working on things under the table. All parties should uphold the "Vienna Spirit” and the principles of seeking common ground while bearing in mind differences, taking a long-term perspective, preserving unity and avoiding division of the IAEA. With a sense of historical responsibility, we should promote an open, inclusive, transparent, and sustainable intergovernmental discussion process in a solid manner, and properly respond to new practices and new challenges in the field of safeguards brought about by AUKUS.
The IAEA Secretariat is the functional organ that implements the joint decisions made by Member States as well as the safeguards arrangements. China, like other Member States, respects and supports the role of the Secretariat in carrying out its mandate in accordance with the Statute. We also believe that the Secretariat should strictly uphold its technical mandate objectivity, impartiality and independence, fully recognize the sensitivity and complexity of the AUKUS issues, fully respect and seriously treat the different views of Member States and objectively reflect the intergovernmental discussions - particularly the different views and outstanding issues - in DG’s reports, to work with all Member States to properly address all the issues related to and problems caused by AUKUS .
China will continue to take a principled and responsible attitude and remains committed to advancing the intergovernmental discussion process on AUKUS among IAEA Member States. We hope all parties will actively participate in and support this effort, working together to make new meaningful contributions to maintaining the NPT and the IAEA regime.