On April 24, the Permanent Mission of China to Vienna hosted a workshop titled “AUKUS: New Challenges to the IAEA Safeguards” at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna. The event brought together over 80 participants, including representatives from 33 IAEA Member States—among them ambassadors from 17 missions—as well as experts from prominent think tanks in the field of arms control and non-proliferation.

Ambassador Li Song, China’s Permanent Representative to the IAEA, emphasized in his introductory remarks that AUKUS poses a serious challenge to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the IAEA safeguards regime. He reaffirmed China’s firm commitment to upholding the authority and effectiveness of the NPT and IAEA regime, and advocated for true multilateralism to jointly address the new challenges posed by AUKUS.

Experts from Russia, the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Egypt, and representative from the IAEA Secretariat delivered remarks and engaged in in-depth discussions on the legal, technical, and procedural dimensions of AUKUS. Delegates generally agreed that the workshop served as an open and inclusive platform that enhanced understanding of the complexity and sensitivity of AUKUS. The workshop is expected to serve as a constructive impetus for the continued advancement of intergovernmental discussions within the framework of the IAEA.