Beijing, Jun 7 (PTI) The International Atomic Energy Agency will discuss China's complaint that the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia by America and Britain under the AUKUS alliance violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday.

China is doggedly opposed to the AUKUS pact reached between Australia, the US and the UK last year under which America and Britain are committed to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines to blunt Beijing's growing influence in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

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For the third time, the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting decided by consensus to set up a formal agenda item to discuss “transfer of nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT” as called for by China, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

“This is a clear indication that the transfer of weapons-grade nuclear materials involved in AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation has drawn close attention and grave concern from the international community,” he told a media briefing.

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The AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation constitutes severe nuclear proliferation risks, delivers a blow to the international non-proliferation system, exacerbates arms race and undermines regional peace and stability, Zhao said.

“The issue of safeguards in the context of AUKUS cooperation has an important bearing on the international non-proliferation system and concerns the interests of all member states. As such, a decision on this matter should be made through discussion by all member states,” the spokesman said.

The US, the UK and Australia should earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, support rather than thwart this inter-governmental discussion process, and refrain from conducting nuclear submarine cooperation before parties reach a consensus, Zhao added.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

The US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's aggressive military manoeuvring in the Indo-Pacific region.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)