India and Brazil help break Chinese blockade on supply of AUKUS N-propelled submarines to Australia

India, Brazil and other countries lobbied against a China-sponsored draft resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s atomic energy watchdog, that would have blocked the planned supply of nuclear submarines to Australia.

In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia announced the formation of the AUKUS alliance so that Canberra could acquire at least eight nuclear submarines. Since Washington crafted the proposal explicitly to counter China in Asia, Beijing has been highly critical of the plan to equip Australia with nuclear submarines fueled by highly enriched uranium.

Although Brazil is working with France on the development of nuclear submarines and has held talks with the IAEA on safeguards and procedures, this would be the first time that a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in addition to the five recognized nuclear weapon states , would own and operate nuclear submarines. India has acquired two nuclear submarines but has never been a party to the NPT as it is considered discriminatory.

While the NPT prohibits non-nuclear weapon states from possessing nuclear weapons, the nuclear propulsion of conventionally armed submarines is not prohibited.

Since last year, the AUKUS initiative has been a stand-alone item on the agenda of the quarterly meetings of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors.

Beijing has been highly critical of the plan to equip Australia with nuclear submarines powered by highly enriched uranium.

At the last meeting of the Board of Governors, earlier this month, China took on the AUKUS alliance.

The IAEA had also published a report in which he was “satisfied” with the cooperation of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in the monitoring of nuclear material. China lashed out at the report, saying the IAEA director general “cannot be reduced to a political tool of the three countries and be used to draw misleading conclusions.”

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At the IAEA’s annual General Conference, which began on September 26, China stepped up its efforts to stop AUKUS from going ahead, circulating a draft resolution. By calling for more oversight, China hoped to prevent Australia from obtaining the nuclear submarines, or at least make the process more difficult.

On September 28, the Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times reported that the nuclear submarine agreement would be officially reviewed at the General Conference after “IAEA members expressed serious concern about the potential danger of nuclear proliferation.” The information was attributed to China’s permanent mission to the UN in Vienna.

Since last year, the AUKUS initiative has been a stand-alone item on the agenda of the quarterly meetings of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors.

However, there were no other reports to confirm the Global Times article.

Instead, on the last day of the General Conference, China appears to have withdrawn its draft resolution.

Brazilian officials told The Wire that the Chinese move, while directed at Australia, would have run counter to Brazil’s plans to also develop nuclear-powered submarines. “If China had been successful, it would have been a disaster for us,” one official said.

Brazil also saw the Chinese move as an attempt to weaken the position of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, an Argentine held in high regard by Brasilia.

Incidentally, China’s permanent representative to the IAEA, Wang Qun, had led the Chinese delegation to the 2016 plenary session of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Seoul. Unlike other Chinese diplomats, he had publicized the closed-door process on the “lack of consensus” in the media. who scuttled India’s application for NSG membership.

Indian diplomatic sources said that the Indian delegation to the IAEA was also active in persuading various countries to oppose the draft resolution.

“India took an objective view of the initiative, recognizing the strength of the IAEA’s technical assessment. The Indian Mission to the IAEA in Vienna worked closely with many IAEA Member States in this regard,” the source stated.

Following the launch of the AUKUS alliance last year, India was optimistic about any concerns about the proliferation of nuclear technology. “…I have seen that the Australians have clarified that they are working on a nuclear-powered submarine, which means that the propulsion is based on nuclear technology, but it would not have any nuclear weapons and as such it will not contravene any of the commitments of Australia or internationals on the issue of nuclear proliferation,” said the then Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on 21st September 2021.

When China realized that it would not be able to get a majority, the draft resolution was withdrawn, Indian sources said.

Incidentally, Indian officials stated that New Delhi’s proactive approach in Vienna was particularly appreciated by the US, UK and Australia.

On the same day that India was collaborating with the West to thwart China’s move on AUKUS at the IAEA, India abstained on a US-sponsored draft resolution against Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories in another UN body, the powerful Security Council.

Note: This article was edited after publication to add input received from Brazilian officials.

Article republished from The Wire as part of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to original article:https://thewire.in/diplomacy/at-iaea-india-helps-to-stop-chinese-roadblock-to-aukus