Beijing accused of ‘playing games’ over AUKUS submarines

Australia has accused China of playing “political games” with its push to have our planned nuclear-powered submarines declared a violation of international law.

Australia has accused China of abusing diplomatic processes and playing “political games” to discredit the nation’s planned nuclear-powered submarines, as China ratcheted up its campaign to have the AUKUS boats declared a violation of international law.

China’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Wang Qun, told the agency’s board of governors this week that an intergovernmental “consensus” was needed to determine “whether AUKUS involves the illegal transfer of nuclear weapon materials”.

Until then, he said Australia, the US and Britain “should not carry out co-operation on nuclear-powered submarines, and the IAEA secretariat should not negotiate safeguard issues with the three countries”, Xinhua reported. Mr Wang succeeded in getting the AUKUS submarines onto the agenda for debate at the IAEA board meeting, but failed to elevate the program to a standing item for discussion.

China has also been unable to secure agreement for a proposed “special committee” of IAEA member states to make recommendations on the legality of AUKUS under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Australia’s ambassador to the IAEA, Richard Sadleir, blasted the Chinese manoeuvring, declaring “we will not tolerate deliberate abuse of the rules of procedure”.

“Exploitation of the rules of procedure for political purposes is highly inappropriate,” Mr Sadleir told the meeting on Monday.

“This is not the time for political games. This is a time to work together in support of the important role this institution must play in striving for peace and security. The moment, and the urgent challenges which confront us, demand solidarity, not division.”

The UK’s IAEA ambassador, Corinne Kitsell, said the AUKUS partners were “deeply concerned” by claims the program lay outside the agency’s mandate, and calls for the IAEA’s director-general to avoid engaging on the issue.

“These claims are absurd,” she said, on behalf of all three nations. “In fact, some colleagues that have aligned with suggestions that the transfer of nuclear material to Australia goes beyond the mandate of the IAEA are the very same that have suggested we haven’t engaged with the IAEA sufficiently.

“Such incorrect and contradictory statements undermine the role and authority of the agency, and are purely politically motivated.”

IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi praised the AUKUS partners for their commitment “to ensuring the highest non-proliferation and safeguards standards are met”.

“During recent engagements the parties have informed the Secretariat that they understand those obligations and that they are fully committed to fulfilling them as the project materialises,” he said.

Australian National University international law expert Don Rothwell told The Australian it was “still a matter of legal debate” as to whether the planned AUKUS submarines would “trigger treaty issues over which the IAEA could intervene”.