China has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to fulfill its mission and address pressing global nuclear issues. During a meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed these concerns with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
Wang Yi emphasized the need for the international community to present a unified voice against rising unilateralism, power politics, and bullying. He warned that without collective action, the world risks reverting to the “law of the jungle,” which would disproportionately affect small and medium-sized countries.
Highlighting the original purpose of the United Nations (UN) to uphold a just international order and protect the sovereign equality of all countries, Wang Yi called on the UN to take the lead in clarifying its position and playing its due role. He noted that the IAEA, as an important member of the UN system, carries the crucial mission of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and preventing nuclear proliferation.
China hopes that the IAEA will continue to uphold objectivity, neutrality, and professionalism in handling issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation involving the United States, Britain, and Australia, and the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.
Director General Grossi praised China as a force for stability in a volatile world, acknowledging the country’s firm support for the UN and its agencies. He expressed the IAEA’s appreciation for China’s progress in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and voiced a willingness to deepen all-round cooperation with China to properly manage the Iranian nuclear issue and other relevant hotspots.
