(Geneva) The United States on Thursday disputed accusations by China that the plan to equip its Australian ally with nuclear-powered submarines violates the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), instead presenting it as a program with exemplary safeguards.
There is nothing in the Non-Proliferation Treaty “that prohibits this program that Australia wants to conclude with the United States and the United Kingdom”, explained a State Department official, having requested the anonymity, during a press briefing.
Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a defense agreement (AUKUS) in October which calls for the Australian navy to equip itself with nuclear-powered submarines.
Brazil also wants to acquire a submarine powered by a nuclear boiler.
At present, only the nations which are equipped with nuclear weapons have submarines of this type.
The AUKUS agreement had resulted in the spectacular termination of a Franco-Australian contract on submarines with conventional propulsion.
China for its part had qualified AUKUS as an “extremely irresponsible” attack on the stability of the region.
The American official assured that this unprecedented agreement “was precisely the reason why Australia and the United Kingdom are determined to ensure that (this project) creates exemplary safeguards”.
“The world can be certain that there will be no diversion of uranium into an arms program,” he stressed, stressing that Australia intended to equip its sub -marines of conventional weapons and not nuclear, and that it “will not build any nuclear infrastructure on its soil that could contribute to the manufacture of a weapon”.
However, he admitted, this will not deter China from raising the subject at the next NPT Review Conference in New York next month.
“I expect China to raise the issue of AKUS at any time … whatever the subject discussed,” said the US official, suggesting that Beijing could thereby create a diversion from its own nuclear program.
A recent Pentagon report estimated that China was developing its nuclear arsenal much faster than expected, that it could already launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads from land, sea and air, and could have 700 nuclear warheads at its disposal. here in 2027.
Beijing lambasted a “manipulation” of the United States.
The US official said it was unlikely that AUKUS would weigh on the results of the review convention, the first since 2015.
The United States, he explained, hopes that the conference will notably make it possible to broaden the definition of nuclear risk.