On June 6, the International Atomic Energy Agency convened its board of directors and decided for the third time to discuss, in the form of a formal agenda, issues related to nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian responded to this at a regular press conference on the 7th, saying that at the suggestion of the Chinese side, for the third time, the IAEA Board of Governors decided to set up a separate formal topic by consensus to discuss nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia, specifically issues affecting all aspects of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including the transfer of nuclear material and its safeguards. This fully reflects the close attention and serious concern of the international community to the transfer of weapons-grade nuclear materials involved in the nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia.

Zhao Lijian said that China has repeatedly stressed that the US-UK-Australia nuclear-powered submarine cooperation poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation, impacts the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, intensifies the arms race, and undermines regional peace and stability. The safeguards issues involved in the nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia have an important impact on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and are related to the interests of all member states of the agency, which should be discussed and decided by all members of the agency. The United States, Britain and Australia should earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, support rather than obstruct the above-mentioned intergovernmental discussion, and should not carry out nuclear-powered submarine cooperation until all parties reach a consensus.

China calls on all members of the agency to support and actively participate in the agency's discussions on nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the three countries, jointly defend the international nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and uphold international peace and security.

After attending the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors held on the 6th, Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, told the media that the transfer of nuclear materials involved in nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia is of great importance and cannot be concealed. The three countries must face it squarely, and deception is not a solution.

Wang Qun said that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency has also reminded and urged the three countries to fulfill their legal obligations on non-proliferation. The nuclear weapons materials involved in the nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the three countries cannot be separated from the international non-proliferation regime. The just voices of the international community and institutions must be carefully heeded, and the legal obligations must be fulfilled. Transfers of above-mentioned nuclear weapons material must be immediately and comprehensively declared to the Agency.

In September last year, the United States, Britain and Australia announced the establishment of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, which promised to provide and transfer part of the nuclear submarine construction technology to Australia to help Australia build at least 8 nuclear-powered submarines. The move has aroused strong concerns about nuclear proliferation in the international community. Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have expressed that the actions of the United States, Britain and Australia may escalate the security threat facing the region.