The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed serious concerns and firm opposition on Wednesday against Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) nuclear-powered submarine cooperation.
It was reported that Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said on August 12 that Australia has signed a cooperation agreement with the U.S. and the UK on nuclear-powered submarines that will enable the three countries to exchange nuclear-related material and information.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded that the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine cooperation harms efforts to keep the region peaceful and secure.
The U.S., the UK, and Australia formed AUKUS to advance cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines and other cutting-edge military technologies, Lin pointed out, adding that their moves exacerbate the arms race, undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, incite bloc politics and military confrontation and hurt regional peace and stability.
AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine cooperation contravenes the object and purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Lin added.
"The cooperation involves the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine reactors and a large amount of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from nuclear-weapon states to a non-nuclear-weapon state, which constitutes grave nuclear proliferation risks."
Noting International Atomic Energy Agency's existing safeguards system cannot place effective safeguards on that, and major controversy exists on the interpretation and application of relevant safeguards provisions, the spokesperson said many countries have already expressed their concerns during the recent second session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT.
Lin also said, China calls on the international community to take seriously the impact of AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine cooperation on the authority and effectiveness of the NPT and its negative effect on the IAEA safeguards regime.
He called on the international community to continue to advance the intergovernmental process and address the world's concerns over the legal and technical issues involved in cooperation through the IAEA, the NPT review process and other platforms.
"Until the international community reaches a consensus on safeguards and other issues, the U.S., the UK and Australia should not proceed with their nuclear-powered submarine cooperation," Lin added.
(Cover: The building of Chinese Foreign Ministry. /CFP)