The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Waller (SSG 75), a Collins-class diesel-electric submarine, is seen in Sydney Harbour on Nov 2, 2016. (PETER PARKS / AFP)
BEIJING – A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States, Britain and Australia to fulfill their obligations concerning nuclear non-proliferation and revoke their decisions on nuclear submarine cooperation.
Nuclear submarine cooperation among these three countries poses severe nuclear proliferation risks, challenges the international framework for nuclear non-proliferation, escalates the arms race and undermines regional peace and stability, said Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference.
The United States and Britain would openly violate the purposes and principles of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if they transfer weapons-grade nuclear materials to non-nuclear-weapon states, Tan said.
Tan called on the international community to jointly defend the NPT-based international nuclear non-proliferation regime.
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