Asia (bbabo.net), - The report of the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on cooperation between the US, UK and Australia in the construction of nuclear submarines for the Australian Navy within the framework of the military bloc AUKUS created by them ignores the fears of the world community. This was stated in the Permanent Mission of China to the UN Office in Vienna, reports today, September 14, Xinhua News Agency.

According to the statement of the Chinese Permanent Mission, the report submitted by the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to the Agency's Board of Governors goes beyond its powers and competence, being a violation of the relevant duties of the head of the IAEA.

As you know, in September 2021, the United States, Great Britain and Australia announced the creation of a trilateral AUKUS pact, under which it is planned to equip the Australian Navy with nuclear submarines.

According to the Chinese diplomatic mission, the IAEA report selectively cites exculpatory statements from the AUKUS countries. This does not take into account the main concerns of the international community about the risks of nuclear proliferation associated with a trilateral deal. The report also ignored the official position of many countries that AUKUS violates the purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“The head of the IAEA should not be higher than the member states of the agency and carry out activities without appropriate mandates on their part; must not engage in nuclear proliferation or activities that further military objectives; must not be turned into a political tool of the AUKUS countries and be used to draw misleading conclusions; should not ignore the subordinate status of the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements to the NPT,” the Chinese mission said in a statement.

It notes that trilateral cooperation on nuclear submarines is the first time in history that two nuclear-weapon states openly transfer nuclear materials to a non-nuclear-weapon state. Chinese diplomats have said that the IAEA, as an agency for the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, would directly violate its own charter and provisions of the NPT if it recognized the activities of the AUKUS countries as legitimate.

The Chinese Mission called on the US, UK and Australia to immediately stop their respective nuclear proliferation activities and called on Rafael Grossi to maintain impartiality and objectivity in reporting on the AUKUS, and to refrain from actions endorsing the pact.

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