"We are working closely with the IAEA to ensure that the AUKUS partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States meets the highest nonproliferation standards," US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a readout of Biden's message.
AUKUS was established last September. Under the pact, the US and Britain will transfer advanced technology to Australia so that it can develop nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) domestically. Washington stressed that the pact is meant to be a "system for nuclear propulsion, not for transfers of nuclear weapons".
Beijing, however, lambasted the alliance, saying that nuclear powers sending vast amounts of weapons-grade uranium to a non-nuclear power like Australia is a "bad precedent".